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Abstract
Through this research project and the production of the documentary We Are, my aim is to show the complexity and diversity of a community that was created through the harsh realities of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. We Are presents diverse voices from the Armenian diaspora, with an autoethnographic focus which allows me to show how individuals from different backgrounds could have similar issues of identity crises, belonging and othering. Through the different methods utilized in the pre-production, production and post-production, such as visual and theoretical inspirations, journaling/reflection, ethnographic and autoethnographic observations, documentary interviews, cinematographic choices and the editing process, this paper aims to shed light on the thought development and technicalities used throughout the production of the documentary. Throughout this project, I make the claim that one does not have to belong to a tangible space in order to feel valid as identity is a multiplex and ever-changing concept that fluctuates with one’s complexity of cultural and life experiences. This research and the documentary We Are aims to demonstrate that the unique identities that are formed within the Armenian diaspora community that is in interaction with diverse cultures is a strength that should be used as an advantage to the Armenian identity.