Armenian Artist Arpi Krikorian Creates Animated Film to Teach Genocide History Without Trauma
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
As April is observed as Armenian Heritage Month across the United States, Armenian American families are once again reflecting on how to teach younger generations about one of the darkest chapters in their history — the Armenian Genocide.
For many children in the diaspora, that education often comes early and with emotional weight.
In classrooms, community centers and cultural programs, young Armenians are introduced to the events of 1915 through powerful — and sometimes graphic — images and stories of loss. While educators and families say this history is essential to preserve, some are beginning to question how those lessons affect children’s mental and emotional well-being.
Artist and animator Arpi Krikorian knows that experience firsthand.
A granddaughter of Armenian Genocide survivors, Krikorian recalls how each April during her childhood felt overwhelming.
“As a young child, the month of April was traumatic,” she said. “We were shown photographs of beheaded bodies, starving children, families torn apart. I would relive the horror my grandparents lived.”
Now a mother herself, she said she began to see her own children going through a similar experience — learning about their heritage through deeply distressing imagery.
That realization led her to ask a difficult question: Is there a way to teach this history without traumatizing the next generation?
Her answer is a new animated film, The Red Scarf.
The project takes a different approach to genocide education, focusing not on graphic depictions of violence, but on stories of human compassion, resilience and hope. The film is based on real accounts of individuals who helped others during the genocide, offering children a way to understand history through empathy rather than fear.
Krikorian, who works in children’s television, said the idea grew out of conversations with colleagues — many of whom are not Armenian but recognized the importance of telling the story in a thoughtful way.
Together, they developed a series centered on what she calls “stories of Armenian hope.”
“These are true stories of people helping those in need, creating hope in a hopeless situation,” she said. “It presents these events in a gentler, more effective way for children.”
The film was produced in collaboration with the USC Shoah Foundation as part of its Armenian Genocide education initiative, “Keep the Promise.” Krikorian also serves as an executive producer through Twiddle Productions.
After years of development, the first installment — The Red Scarf — has been completed and released for free on YouTube, along with an interactive graphic novel version of the story.
Despite early success, including acceptance into several film festivals, Krikorian said the project faces ongoing financial challenges.
“We need more funding to continue,” she told The Armenian Report. “If we can get into an Oscar-qualifying festival, we can apply for a nomination.”
She added that the team — including three executive producers — worked without pay to bring the first film to life, with partial funding provided by the Shoah Foundation.
Their broader goal is not just recognition, but access.
“We want this to be part of school curriculum,” she said. “We just want visibility so the message reaches families.”
The effort reflects a broader conversation happening within Armenian American communities, particularly during Armenian Heritage Month — how to balance remembrance with care for the emotional well-being of children.
For Krikorian, the mission is deeply personal.
She is not trying to soften history, she said, but to reshape how it is introduced — ensuring that the next generation understands the truth, while also preserving their sense of safety and hope.
“We cannot ignore or forget what happened,” she said. “But we can choose how we tell the story.”
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