Featured Speaker: Sareen Hairabedian

Location: UW-Milwaukee Union Cinema (2200 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI)

Date and Time:
September 24, 2025
Meet and Greet: 6:00 PM CDT
Film Screening: 7:00 PM CDT

For 11-year-old Vrej, life in his homeland, Artsakh, is like a paradise–that is until his life takes a sudden turn when war erupts, and he is forced to flee with his family. Upon returning to his surviving village, he confronts the devastation, new power dynamics, and education that prepares children for near-future battles. Vrej must learn the rules of war… but can he carry a nation’s hopes on his young shoulders?

Sareen Hairabedian is a documentary film director who uses observational intimate cinematic approach, to tell stories about people and places that often go unnoticed and unheard of. Please join for a meet-and-greet with her at 6pm with a talkback to follow the film!

Organized by the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Institute of World Affairs.

Co-sponsored by the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR), the Hamparian Family Foundation, the Cherchian Family Foundation, the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Institute of World Affairs, and the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.