The Dragon Under Our Feet

I’m thrilled to share a deeply personal project I’m working on in my 2025 SFFILM FilmHouse Residency — and invite you to help make it happen.

I’m directing and producing a full-length documentary called The Dragon Under Our Feet, that follows my journey as a Bay Area artist reconnecting with my Armenian heritage through the art of traditional carpet weaving. What began as an exploration of ancient symbols has grown into a story about identity, resilience, and the fight to preserve culture.

In the film, I create a contemporary stained glass work inspired by centuries-old Armenian carpet motifs — especially the dragon (vishap). Along the way, I meet weavers, elders, and historians in both California and Armenia, from refugee women in Goris weaving to support their families, to museum directors saving rare rugs from war. With these cultural experts as my guide, we uncover the stories these carpets carry — and the questions they raise about heritage, connection, and survival.

We’ve launched a crowdfunding campaign to directly support filming in Armenia this September. Donations are tax-deductible. You can help by contributing or sharing the campaign with your community. Every gesture moves us closer to preserving and sharing these stories.

https://seedandspark.com/fund/the-dragon-under-our-feet#story

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18 Sept: Film: My Sweet Land

My Sweet Land 

a film by 

Sareen Hairabedian

Followed by a panel with 

film director Sareen Hairabedian,

and UC Berkeley faculty

Dr. Myrna Douzjian and Dr. Jennifer Redfearn 

Thursday, Sept. 18, 5:30pm

Booth Auditorium at Berkeley Law

RSVP Required

Hosted by the Human Rights Center 

Cosponsors: Armenian Studies Program, the Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies

Learn More.

22 Sept: EVN Talks: Small State, Strategic Breakthrough – Armenia’s Security & Democratic Trajectory in a Fractured Region – Berkeley

EVN Talks: Small State, Strategic Breakthrough – Armenia’s Security & Democratic Trajectory in a Fractured Region

Panelists:

Dr. Anna Ohanyan, Stonehill College

Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Raffi Kassarjian, Sensyan LLC

Moderator:

Dr. Dzovinar Derderian, UC Berkeley

Monday, September 22, 10:00am

Geballe Room, 220 Stephens, Hall Townsend Center for the Humanities

Learn More

22 Sept: Small State, Strategic Breakthrough: Armenia’s Search for Security, From Big Tech to Geopolitical Reshuffling

Armenian studies @ Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies presents:
EVN Talks: Small State, Strategic Breakthrough: Armenia’s Search for Security, From Big Tech to Geopolitical Reshuffling
Monday, September 22 at 6:30 – 8:00PM PST

Encina Commons, Rm. 123
615 Crothers Way, Stanford University

Armenia stands at a critical juncture, facing the dual challenges of ensuring security and driving innovation in a region fraught with conflict and uncertainty. This discussion will examine how Armenia manages pressing security challenges with long-term strategic thinking, including the role of technology, digital transformation and creative diplomacy in charting a path forward. The panelists will explore the lessons Armenia offers on resilience, adaptation and reimagining small state strategy in volatile geopolitical contexts.

Panelists:
Dr. Anna OhanyanStonehill College in Massachusetts;
Dr. Nerses KopalyanUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas;
Raffi KassarjianCEO and Principal Advisor at Sensyan;

Moderator:
Maria TitizianEditor-in-Chief of EVN Report

For more event details and to RSVP, click here