"It is generally not known in the world that, in the years preceding 1916, there was a concerted effort made to eliminate all the Armenian people, probably one of the greatest tragedies that ever befell any group. And there weren't any Nuremberg trials."                                                                        -Jimmy Carter                                                           

Now living in Glendale, California (1974) Lucine, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide recounts the tale of her childhood, to her granddaughter Sose... Her story begins in the early months of 1915 in a small refugee village in Armenia. Lucine’s family had been relocated from Adana after the 1909 Massacre, now they are poor and barely able to survive. One day the village priest visits Lucine’s family and alerts them that there had been rumors that the Ottoman Government had sent orders to deport all Armenians.  Lucine is a young girl at this time and wants nothing more than to enjoy her childhood. 

"It is wonderful to read a script that needs to be told."                    -John Chichester (Production Designer, Star Trek: Into Darkness)

Days pass and we discover that the order of deportation is to be carried out. In a last ditch effort to save their only child from certain death Lucine's parents decide to hide her in the woods, with all they have, small rations and a Straw Doll  her mother had made her....

 That night both Lucine’s mother and father are killed by the hands of the Ottoman Soldiers, deemed unworthy to live. Leaving Lucine orphaned and alone, With nothing more than the clothes on her back and her straw doll she sets out on a journey of survival.           

A Behind the Scene look at Director Jon Milano's  "Parvaneh."

                                                                        

The Impact

The benefits of supporting this film go beyond the downloads, DVDs, names in the film, elite producer status, or any of the other unique perks we offer. You will be part of a global movement towards telling a story and awakening a forgotten tale of 1.5 Million Armenian's marched to their death. By supporting this campaign, you are making their voices heard.

Your Support

Indiegogo enables “crowdfunding” for important projects. IndieGoGo allows us to bypass the Hollywood studios and make the movie that Hollywood and mainstream media won't touch. Your support allows us to bring this film to life! It is time for this historic event be forever immortalized in film.

There are a great deal of Financial Costs associated with this production.

• Recreating an authentic Armenian Village/ Syrian Desert
• Visual Effects; Hard-drives, render house fees.
• Equipment ; i.e camera (Sony F65), grip and electric, trailers. etc
• Cast and Crew; transportation, meals.

Straw Dolls is a registered LLC, all donations and gifts go directly to the films production.

If you have any questions please email armenia1915film@gmail.com

The Production Crew

Jon Milano (Director) was born and raised in New Jersey.  He has been drawn to different cultures and enjoys telling their stories through film. He is also a life time member of The Women in Film Foundation.  "Parvaneh" (2014) in which we used footage to make the teaser trailer, was written and performed in Farsi (a language Jon does not speak) and explores a war torn Afghanistan through the eyes of a young girl.  He has been working in the Film and Television industry since 2006 and holds a B.F.A in Film Studies and is currently a M.F.A Candidate at Chapman University's Dodge College, where he is Mentored by Academy Award Winning Writer/DirectorDavid Ward.

Chris Naughton (Producer) was born in Orange, California and has lived in Southern California ever since. In 2009 Chris received his Bachelor's degree in Political Science from UCLA. He then went on to Law school where he graduated in May 2013 from the University of Laverne College of Law. Chris passed the July 2013 California Bar Examination and is currently pursuing an MFA in Film and TV producing at Chapman University. Chris has worked on or produced seven projects this year. 

Shant Massoyan (Composer) Armenian American born in and raised in New Jersey.  A classically trained musician and active member of the Armenian Community.  He has most recently performed the national anthem on April 19, 2014 at the Washington Nationals baseball game.  His music is featured in the Promotional Video.  More of his original music can be seen Here.

Justin Alpern (Director of Photography) was born in California and lived and worked all over the west coast. He graduated from Linfield College with degree in studio art and art history. He has been capturing the world in film ever since his dad gave me my first camera—a Contax RTS with Zeiss lenses—when he was 12 years old. His passion for the craft and teaching has brought him to Chapman University where he and Jon met and established a working relationship. 

William "Billy" Durden (Editor)  Reno, Nevada, has collaborated with Jon Milano on six different projects including "Parvaneh" (2014).  Billy is a story first editor, with range to go from commercial editing to long form narrative filmmaking.