The Winning Generation

Filmed over a decade, 14-year-old Armenian activist Shahen Harutyunyan grows into a rising political leader. While he fights to reshape Armenia’s democratic future and counter Russian influence, he also carries the weight of his father and grandfather – legends of the Armenian struggle for freedom.

Shahen Harutyunyan was 14 years old when he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who have been fighting for a free and independent Armenia for decades. The moment when his father Shant was arrested and imprisoned for four years, sparked Shahen’s political awakening. This film follows his journey from young activist to emerging politician. All the while he carries the powerful legacies of his father – once charismatic but changed by prison – and his grandfather, an underground Soviet-era activist.

Today he is 23 years old and the leader of the Shant Alliance, a political party aiming to win national elections. In this coming-of-age story, over the course of ten years, Shahen goes from a restless activist to a brilliant and thoughtful politician. In a context of strong social and political instability, through wars, revolts and under heavy Russian influence, his struggle for an autonomous Armenia runs parallel to a painful emancipation from his father figure.