Synopsis
‘Gini’ (gi-nee) is an immersive non-fiction short exploring the ancient roots and modern revival of Armenian winemaking as an enduring act of resilience.
Armenia’s history is marked by devastating loss – but also remarkable perseverance. Through Gini, wine becomes both an entry point and a lens to tell the Armenian story. From the 1915 Armenian Genocide, which claimed 1.5 million lives, to the ethnic cleansing and ongoing destruction of cultural heritage in the Artsakh region following the recent war with Azerbaijan, this film reflects the enduring spirit of a nation shaped by survival and resilience.
This project is more than a documentary on Armenian wine. It’s a sensory, form-driven experience where wine reveals the larger story of land, culture, and identity. Like the native grape varietals – which have been preserved, replanted, and re- grafted over millennia, Gini offers intimate explorations of Hayrenik (homeland) and the people who shape it.
While distinctly Armenian, the story speaks to a broader global movement centered on cultural preservation, Indigenous agriculture, and the reclamation of identity through land and food ways. At a moment when war, displacement, and globalization continue to threaten culinary and agricultural traditions across the region, the film feels especially urgent.
Key Personnel
Anaïs DerSimonian (Director/Producer/Project Manager): DerSimonian is writer, filmmaker and fusion chef of Pom Pom Kitchen fascinated with the intersection between food, history and culture. She’s previously worked on documentary projects in Armenia, profiling women-led farming initiatives. She received a BFA in Screen Studies and Culture Studies from Clark University ‘17.
Shady Kerko (Assistant Director) – Kerko is career Assistant Director, known for his production work on Oscar-winning Anora (2024), Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) and His Three Daughters (2023).
Vardan Hovhanisyan (Production Partner) – Hovhannisyan is a filmmaker and founder of the internationally acclaimed Yerevan-based production company, Bars Media.
Auden Barbour (Director of Photography) – Barbour is a cinematographer spanning narrative, documentary, commercial and experimental projects. Her gritty, verite-style work often involves real people and how they experience the world around them. Collaborators and clients include the WNBA, Parsons School of Design, MoMA and the CFDA.
Jesse Allain-Marcus (Lead Editor) – documentary editor, known for his work on Tribeca-winning Natchez. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on the 1619 Project Documentary Series.
Haseeb Amin (Producer) – Production and post-production manager of various short-form narrative projects and web series Kitchen Closed.
Zainab Saeed (Producer) – Chef and producer of web series Kitchen Closed, Saeed will assist fundraising efforts.
