“Truthful! Insightful! Hopeful!”

These are among the descriptions from moviegoers at Fresno Regal Riverpark about the faith-based film “Between Borders” at its sold-out red-carpet premiere on Saturday.

Jaron Ministries hosted the event with the leading actress Elizabeth Tabish (“The Chosen”) and writer/director/producer Mark Freiburger in attendance. There was a Q&A and attendees took photos with the actress and filmmaker on the red carpet after the screening.

The synopsis: “In a crumbling Soviet Union, the Petrosyan family finds themselves as outcasts — wherever they go. Their Armenian heritage marks them for discrimination, first in their home country of Azerbaijan and then in Russia. After finding their eternal hope through a church planted by American missionaries, the hostility of everyday life pushes them to seek refuge in the United States. In the shadow of exile, hope became their home. Based on a riveting true story of faith and hope set amidst great oppression.” (www.betweenbordersmovie.com)

The film has garnered acclaim as an International Christian Visual Media Association (ICVM) Crown Awards Finalist 2024 (Best Actress, Best Director, Best Theatrical Release Movie) and a selection for the Armenian Film Festival 2024.

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Petrosyan Family’s Story on the Big Screen

With tremendous cinematography and solid performances from the cast, this immigrant tale of hope and survival does an admirable job of bringing the Petrosyan family’s story to the big screen. Tabish (Violetta) and Patrick Sabongui (Ivan) were convincing in their depictions of the couple’s perseverance in seeking a better life for their two daughters.

It’s also a courtroom drama. The narrative is centered around Ivan and Violetta giving their testimony in an American court on what they experienced in Russia and making their case on why they deserved asylum and citizenship. The story is told in flashbacks that serve as a useful tool to set up dramatic intrigue for the judge’s decision.

The film could’ve benefitted from showcasing the horrors of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of the late 1980s to add more emotional weight. Freiburger’s interpretation is a showcase of seeking salvation through faith.

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Authenticity and Accuracy

The Petrosyan family was involved early on in the project. It was quite an undertaking for Freiburger to get the story right, considering he’s not Armenian.

“We interviewed them and listened to old interviews and old articles. Once I compiled everything and started working on the script, every time I finished a draft, we’d send it to them to make sure there weren’t any major inaccuracies, so they had a good say in it. Once we turned in the final draft, we had their blessing,” said Freiburger.

“I stepped into this wanting to be very respectful knowing that I’m an outsider. For me, it wasn’t about trying to tell the full story of the Armenian plight, I just wanted to tell the family’s story. I felt if I could get this story right then it might serve the Armenian story as a whole.”

Considering the lack of Armenian representation in the film industry, it was refreshing to see a historical timepiece told from a different perspective.

Tabish agrees that narratives like these need to be told for their cultural impact.

“It’s incredibly important. It’s been very recently that the Armenian plight has been publicly acknowledged in our society,” she said. “I’m hoping that there’ll be more Armenian stories being told and shared so that it’s not something that’ll be forgotten and not repeated. Hopefully, it can influence what’s going on for the Armenian people as well.”

As about half of the audience was of Armenian heritage, the emotion and truth the picture evoked were evident.

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Overcoming Production Challenges to Deliver Impactful Story

With only 20 days to film on location in Romania, getting the project in the can was an accomplishment in itself.

“This was the tightest and shortest amount of pre-production I’ve ever had for a film. We only had three weeks to prep it. No sleep, and a lot of meticulous planning. No rehearsal time with the cast and no table reads whatsoever,” said Freiburger. “That’s not an ideal situation to make a film, but fortunately it panned out.”

Its resonance lies in its subject matter at the time of its release. There are deportations and immigration protests in this country under President Donald Trump.

“It’s a true story that hasn’t really been told that often,” Tabish said. “It’s important to have these stories stay alive in the public conversation about immigration and about who they really are.”

“No matter what your political affiliation is, this film reminds us that these are humans, and it humanizes the immigration experience, and I think that’s a really important thing to be reminded of right now.”

For more information about the film click here.