Elizabeth Tabish is no stranger to taking on roles that resonate with her own cultural heritage. The actress, known for her work on the hit series “The Chosen,” is now bringing that same personal connection to her latest project, the upcoming film “Between Borders,” releasing this week through Fathom Events.
Tabish was approached by producer Isaac Norris about the script, and as soon as she heard it was a story centered around an Armenian family, she was immediately eager to dive in.
“I was really, really moved by it,” Tabish said. “The character that I play, I saw members of my own family in her so much. I really recognized a lot of her attitudes and reactions to things and sort of emotional state.”
With her own mixed Armenian, Lebanese, Italian, French, German and English background, Tabish has long struggled to find her place in an industry that has traditionally favored more homogeneous appearances.
“When I was younger and getting into acting, I knew that I didn’t look like everyone else,” she explained. “It did feel like a struggle for some time to find my place in this industry.”
That all changed with her role in “The Chosen,” which allowed Tabish to embrace her ethnicity rather than hide it.
“It was so freeing to just to be able to look exactly how I look and then this is the first story where I get to play an Armenian character,” she said. “It’s sad to say, but it’s the first time I’ve even had an audition for something like that.”
In “Between Borders,” Tabish portrays a member of an Armenian family living in Azerbaijan whose world is upended when tensions against Armenians escalate to a dangerous level, forcing them to flee to Russia. There, they find refuge in a Christian church started by American missionaries, a stark contrast to their communist upbringing.
“It’s a family that were born and raised in Azerbaijan. Their entire world is there. That’s their home, and they’ve got these fantastic jobs, and they’re really secure,” Tabish explained. “And then tensions against Armenians worsens to such a degree that it’s dangerous to stay another night. They have to leave immediately.”
As the family navigates their new surroundings in Volgograd, Russia, they face continued threats and bullying, but also discover a sense of solace and peace within the church community. This ultimately leads them to apply for citizenship and find a new home in America.
“There’s this sort of parallel story going on where they’re seeking home, and they find home in America, yes, but they also have found home in their faith and in God too,” Tabish said.
For the actress, the opportunity to bring this Armenian story to the screen holds deep personal significance.
“I’ve been wanting to help tell an Armenian story for some time, and so I was just very excited to get to do so,” she shared.
Tabish is hopeful that “Between Borders” will resonate with audiences and continue the industry’s positive momentum towards greater diversity and representation.
“I’m glad things are changing. I’m glad that more stories are being told and more people are feeling represented on the screen,” she said.
Watch a portion of the interview with Elizabeth Tabish below.
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