TEZETA - ԿԱՐՕՏ [The Ethiopian Armenians]! Much accomplished, more to do!

Dear Friends, There is an Armenian community of no more than 100 people living in Ethiopia that has had a long history.  They have flourished in Ethiopia owing to a non-colonial religious connection that has spanned 1500 years. TEZETA [The Ethiopian Armenians] strives to tell their story. The story is about the Armenians’ huge achievements, which include bringing the first cars to Ethiopia, building the first roads in Ethiopia, and creating the first Ethiopian national anthem. http://www.indiegogo.com/tezeta It’s a story about forty Armenian Genocide survivors, orphaned and living in Jerusalem, who were adopted by Emperor Haile Selassie I to create the first imperial orchestra of Ethiopia.  It’s a story about one Armenian man raising a generation of musicians and singers who have moved on to create an addictive form of big-band jazz that has found an international name today.  It’s a story about the challenges as white Ethiopians; the struggle to gain acceptance into a larger Ethiopian society; the usurpation of the Armenians’ many properties, businesses, and homes; the exodus of many community members; and the lives of the brave ones that have remained. Their story has rarely been documented or told.  In Ethiopia, the communist Derg regime re-wrote much of Ethiopian history in an attempt to erase the history of imperial influence on their society, an influence that Armenians benefitted from owing to their trusted and religious connection to the royalty.  In Armenian history, the community of Ethiopia has been giving little attention or care.  There are few and rare books that document Armenian migration to Ethiopia. There are few researchers focusing on that history today.  Only recently have historians and researchers begun to center their attention on this unique bond and kinship that has lead to a fruitful cultural romance over the centuries. We've interviewed 35 members of the Armenian community, 10 famous Ethiopian musicians/singers that have been taught by Armenians in Ethiopia, 3 researchers of Ethiopian-Armenian history, and two members of Ethiopian Orthodox clergy.  We've accomplished all this but our work is not complete. We need your help. This documentary aims at creating a first-ever international film that will highlight this unique connection in Ethiopia.  In order to do so me and my crew need funds for equipment, travel, crew-hire, permits and boarding that will allow us to create the best possible documentation with the highest quality of production. We're entering into our second phase of production. Please consider giving to our fundraising site, at the following link: http://www.indiegogo.com/tezeta If you prefer to share, that is a great gift as well. Spreading the word about our film is a great donation in our eyes. Thank you for helping keep independent documentary filmmaking alive! - Aramazt Kalayjian and the TEZETA [The Ethiopian Armenians] Crew.  +  +  = TEZETA [The Ethiopian Armenians]