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GINI

@gini.documentary

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Immersive non-fiction short exploring the ancient roots and modern revival of Armenian winemaking as an enduring act of resilience
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Big news: @birthdaycatprod is joining Gini as Executive Producer. Excited to build this film together and share the story of Armenia’s ancient winemaking heritage with the world by @gini.documentary

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4 months ago

Thank you to all of you who came out to support our fundraiser for Gini, honoring ancient Armenian viticulture - we had SO MUCH fun partying with y’all and getting the opportunity to tell you more about our upcoming doc 🎥 🍇

The evening featured guest speaker @roni_selects, who spoke about the origins of Levantine wine; a delicious grazing table by our very own @zainabbsadiasaeed; SWANA bops by DJ @_babagamoush_ and incredible Armenian, Georgian and Levantine wines from @terra_sancta_wines_and_spirits @storica_wines and @zrswest.

Thank you to @peoplesforumnyc for hosting us, and for all of you who showed out to make this vision a reality. We love you!! 🫶

📸 @marcelblakeley
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#armenianfood #viticulture #independentdocumentary #fundraiserevent levantinefood taken in The People's Forum by @gini.documentary

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2 months ago

We’re officially LIVE 🍇🇦🇲

Last weekend, we launched our 30-day @seedandspark campaign for Phase I funding of GINI — a documentary exploring the ancient history and modern revival of Armenian winemaking.

For Armenians, wine is a living archive of culture, resilience, and connection to the land. Through the stories of winemakers preserving indigenous grape varietals and traditions despite forced displacement and conflict, GINI illuminates a universal story of cultural and culinary preservation

This first phase of funding will support our pre-production and production journey as we travel to Armenia during harvest season to document these stories where they’re unfolding.

Every contribution - whether it’s a donation, a follow, or simply sharing this post with your community - helps us to tell this powerful story.

If food and wine/sustainable agriculture/cultural preservation/geopolitical justice resonates with you, we’d be honored to have you join us!

Link in bio to support the campaign. We have until August 10th to raise these funds — let’s do it, together.

🎥 @theartistformerlyknownashaseeb

#GINIDocumentary #SeedAndSpark #DocumentaryFilm #ArmenianWine #independentfilm by @gini.documentary

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3 months ago

We’re thrilled to share that GINI is now officially fiscally sponsored by @nywift! This means that all donations made to the film are now tax-deductible, making it easier for major supporters to help bring this project to life (click the link in bio for donation link).

This is a huge milestone for our women-run team and brings us one step closer to documenting the ancient history and modern revival of Armenian winemaking through the stories of the people preserving it today.

As we prepare to begin production, every contribution directly supports travel, filming, local Armenian collaborators, and the preservation of stories that deserve to be seen and heard.

Thank you to everyone who has believed in this project during our first phase of production. We can’t wait to share what’s next!

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to support the film, that time is now. 🍇

#GINIFilm #Documentary #Armenia #ArmenianWine Viticulture IndependentFilm CulturalPreservation FoodAnthropology by @gini.documentary

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3 months ago

Had the absolute BEST time at our crew dinner thanks to @littlearmeniacafe 🇦🇲 Chef Ararat really went above and beyond to give us the full tasting menu experience, giving us the opportunity to try some incredible Armenian wines before we depart in September to film the harvest. Thank you for the experience, Chef! 👨🏻‍🍳 🍷 🍇
📸 @audenbarbour
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#armenianfood #armenianwine #newyorkfood by @gini.documentary

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3 months ago

Join us at The People’s Forum for an evening exploring the cultural history, food traditions, and agricultural heritage of Armenia through the lens of ancient viticulture preservation — while supporting the production of ‘Gini’, an immersive documentary amplifying the underrepresented stewards preserving Armenia’s ancient agricultural traditions. LINK IN BIO 🍇

The evening will feature:

•Light noshing by @zainabbsadiasaeed
•Armenian and Levantine wines + grape-based non-alcoholic drinks
•Guest speaker @roni_selects on traditional winemaking
•SWANA bops and Habibi funk by @_babagamoush_

Proceeds from the evening will directly support the film’s September production period during Armenia’s grape harvest season.

Together, the evening seeks to foster cultural preservation and exchange through the unique prism of ancient viticulture while challenging Eurocentric narratives surrounding the origins and history of winemaking.

Special thanks to our sponsors: @storica_wines & @terra_sancta_wines_and_spirits.
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#armenian #armenianwine #armenianfood #middleeasterncuisine taken in The People's Forum by @gini.documentary

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3 months ago

This is who’s making your documentary on ancient Armenian viticulture 🍇 😤 👼🏼
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#armenia #armenianwine #viticulture #traditionalwine by @gini.documentary

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4 months ago

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
Director/Producer by @gini.documentary

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4 months ago

For thousands of years, Armenian winemakers have used large clay vessels called karas, traditionally buried 2/3 of the way underground to ferment and age wine naturally. The porous clay allows gentle oxygen exchange while the combination cold earth and warm air regulates temperature year-round, creating a low-intervention winemaking method that reflects a deep understanding of sustainable preservation, seasonality, and the relationship between wine and land 🏺 by @gini.documentary

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4 months ago

Keush’s vineyards in Armenia’s Vayots Dzor region are among the highest-elevation vineyards in the world (around 1,750–1,800 meters or 5,700–5,900 ft above sea level in the border village of Khachik). These vineyards with their rocky, mineral-rich soils are widely recognized as the highest in the Northern Hemisphere dedicated to méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine production ⛰️ by @gini.documentary

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4 months ago

Did you know that the world’s oldest known winery was discovered in Armenia? Archaeologists uncovered a 6,100-year-old winemaking facility in the Areni-1 cave complex in the village of Areni, unearthing fermentation vats, a wine press, storage jars, and drinking cups — evidence that organized viticulture existed in the Armenian Highlands long before many other ancient civilizations 🍷 by @gini.documentary

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4 months ago