Between Borders is a feature film set to release in the United States on 26-28 January that tells the true story of the Petrosyans — a Nazarene family— and their journey to faith and safety. The following is an adapted version of a story published by the Church of the Nazarene Eurasia featuring interviews with the film’s producers, one of the lead actors, and the Petrosyans themselves.

Between Borders shares the harrowing tale of the Petrosyan family—Violetta, Ivan, and their two young daughters, Julia and Olga—as they flee violence in Azerbaijan in the late 1980s. In their search for safety and a sense of home, they meet Jesus in a budding Russian Church of the Nazarene.

When Connie and Lonnie Norris moved their family from the United States to Volgograd, Russia, in 1993 as volunteer Nazarene missionaries, they soon crossed paths with Violetta and Ivan, ardent atheists and exhausted parents trying to build a life for their family in yet another country.

The Petrosyan family skeptically visited a worship service after Violetta’s mother began attending a church planted by the Norrises. Initially, Violetta stopped by to listen to English but found herself returning, drawn to the message of hope and healing in Jesus.

“I always say that my life started when I accepted Jesus,” Violetta remembers. “Everything changed from that day.”

Her daughter Olga also recognized something different upon meeting the church members for the first time.

“I’d never seen joy that much on display,” she said. “They wanted to know me,” she said, adding that “it was such a big thing to feel loved by people.”

“And then realizing why they’re so different than people just across the street—oh my, it’s Jesus. I want to know that Jesus,” she remembers thinking. “That’s why the hunger for Christ came because I saw that.” 

Every Sunday after, the family returned, finding peace and warmth amid a violent, unwelcoming world. 

“That was the place I ran because I felt loved and accepted by others,” Olga said.

“People need each other,” adds Lonnie, who spent seven years planting churches with Connie in and around Volgograd. “Hospitality is one of the things that’s noted in the Bible that we crave. It’s an inner need. It also gives us an opportunity, in the community, to work out the Scripture, interpret the Scripture, and make it practical. It’s in a community that we encourage one another.”

Community in Christ—the tragedy when it’s missing and the safety net it weaves—is a focal point of Between Borders.

“It is a story that reminds us to be good to each other, to love each other—especially those who are on the outside of society, or ‘othered’ or rejected,” actress Elizabeth Tabish said. “It’s a beautiful story of what can happen when you take care of each other.”

Through the eyes of the Petrosyans, Between Borders explores racism, displacement, and human suffering, as well as humility, hope, and trust. 

“It’s important to tell stories that represent complex issues that Christians should wrestle with,” said producer Isaac Norris—son of Connie and Lonnie. 

He also emphasizes the film’s deep Nazarene roots. 

“The Nazarene church’s global mentality and focus on compassionate ministries are so evident throughout the film,” he said.

Between Borders is available in select movie theaters in the United States from January 26-28. For more information on where you can see the movie, click here.
To read the full version of the interview on the Eurasia Region website, click here.