We Went to Listen, and Found a Story

When we traveled to Istanbul, our goal was to begin research on Armenian presence and memory in Turkey. We wanted to listen, observe, and better understand the lives shaped by silence, resilience, and history.
We brought no crew. Just a phone, a notebook, and a desire to witness.

What we found was not just history. It was something living. We saw it in the quiet rituals of faith, in forgotten corners of churches and schools, and in the everyday rhythms of a community that has endured in the heart of Istanbul, even as it is often overlooked.

This short film was shot entirely on an iPhone during that first visit. It was never intended to be a film. But some stories speak through the spaces and gestures they inhabit. They ask only to be seen and remembered.

What began as a quiet study became a living story. It gave us the emotional spark to create something far greater.

In August, we will begin filming a five-part documentary series inspired by this experience. Titled Silence Between Two Nations, the series will explore both the deep-rooted Armenian legacy in Istanbul and the often unseen lives of post-Soviet Armenian migrants who arrived later. Together, these chapters will reveal what it means to live between presence and erasure.

This video is not an ending. It is the first step in telling the story behind the silence.

Watch the short film here.
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