Gini (gi-nee) is a short documentary about the ancient history and modern renaissance of Armenian winemaking. Through the eyes of a forcibly displaced father-daughter vintner duo, wine becomes a prism to understand the Armenian land and people, whose stories of resilience are so inextricably linked to the practice of historic winemaking.

Why This Story

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.

Heroes

Grisha Avetisyan: Winemaker behind Kataro Wines, working with the Khndoghni grape varietal from Artsakh that he uprooted during the war and re-grafted in Armenia when he and his family were forcibly displaced. His life’s work – now being passed down to his daughter Veronika – is preserving this grape, the ancient techniques and their identity as Artsakhsis. 

Veronika Avetisyan: Grisha’s daughter, who recently graduated from EVN Wine Academy. She now carries the legacy of her family’s winemaking, and seeks to preserve her Artsakhtsi culture through her winemaking, sharing it with the world. She is the next generation of this story.

The Homeland — the Hayrenik. Armenia itself: ancient mineral-rich soils, century-old vines, and some of the highest-elevation vineyards in the Northern Hemisphere. A singular terroir shaping a distinct identity.

Other experts in the Armenian winemaking scene who will provide context for Grisha and Veronika’s story include Artur Grigoryan, director of the Zabel Yesayan Agribusiness Center, an innovative culture and education hub in Yerevan; Aimee Keushguerian of Keush Wines, who is one of the global authorities on Armenian wide; Hovakim Saghatelyan of Trinity Canyon Vineyards who sings Armenian spirituals to his vines; his daughter, Mariam, who runs Yerevan’s first wine bar, In Vino; and Dmitry Egorov, cultural anthropologist and Russian-born winemaker who sources unused historic karas (clay amphora) from local villages, using traditional techniques to create boutique amber wine. 

Where You Come In...

We're traveling to Armenia in September to capture the grape harvest, but we need your help to get there! Traveling to Armenia is expensive and shooting internationally is complicated, but this story is WORTH IT. This campaign accounts for about 20% of our totally budget, but over 50% of the funds needed by Septmeber. Your donation will help us cover airfare, baggage costs, insurance, hard drives, food, and local crew needs including a sound recordists and drone operator. Once we return to New York, equipment with hours of precious footage, we'll immediately begin the post-production process, prioritizing a sizzle reel that will be used to raise the remainder of our budget through private funders.

Right now, we're leaning on you - our community - because we know that we can. You are part of our community because you share our passion for cultural preservation; because you understand the importance of sustainable agriculture and food ways; because you believe in women-lead stories that deserve to be told.

Director's Statement

As a chef and storyteller, I’m drawn to the intersection of people, memory, and food — and the land it comes from. For me, Armenian wine is the perfect prism through which to tell a story of resilience. I first traveled to Armenia with a camera in 2016, documenting women-led agricultural initiatives in rural communities. A decade – and a devastating war – later, I return with a deeper understanding of Armenian wine’s seminal history and quiet, significant renaissance, as well as my own evolution as a diaspora chef. The respect I have for these farmers and winemakers is paramount; and I can’t wait to make their stories known.

Gini is a love letter to my heritage. To tell the story of Armenian wine is to tell the story of the land; of the beautiful Armenian people — all three of which are inextricably linked; all three of which tell us something important about the resilience of humanity at large.

This is a story that deserves to be seen, felt, and celebrated.

~Anaïs DerSimonian

Stay Connected!

Follow us on Instagram @GiniDocumentary for updates. We're off to Armenia in September and we can't wait to share the whole experience with you! You'll also find updates there on post-production and distribution.