Oral History Matters In(Sight) House Talks: The Chants of Our Hearts

About the Event:

The Chants of Our Hearts is a documentary film that shines a light on the football narratives of five Armenian women, including myself. Based on oral history interviews, the documentary explores what it’s like to be a woman interested in a sport that is predominantly viewed as “masculine.” As narrators, we share our personal stories and highlight the stereotypes and injustices in women’s football to show the sport from a new perspective. By spotlighting women’s voices, the film aims to demonstrate that one does not have to fit into certain boxes to fully enjoy football and feel like a valued member of the community it offers.

In(Sight) House Talks is part of a larger ongoing initiative, Oral History Matters, that is meant to make oral history more visible as a research methodology. The series is an extension of the exhibition collectively curated in August 2023 by a team of recently graduated AUA students showcasing their research creation projects and capstones. How can oral history open up space for forms of knowledge that have been denied and silenced by dominant and oppressive research practices? How can we build deep connections with our research participants? What insights do we gain from them about our research process and ourselves as researchers? How do we voice silences? These are some of the questions the speakers will explore.

About the Speaker:

Mariana Safaryan holds a bachelor of arts degree in English and communications from the American University of Armenia. She is a founding member of the Oral History Matters initiative and uses the method of oral history to call attention to marginalized narratives through visual media. Currently, Mariana lives in her hometown in Georgia, teaching at an Armenian community center and working with Armenian schools through an NGO that focuses on the civic education of youth.

Language: English