There Was, There Was Not

Artsakh declared independence in 1991 but has long been the subject of a territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In this richly textured tapestry, filmmaker Emily Mkritchian weaves the story of Artsakh through the daily lives of four women. Beginning in 2018, when the region had held a tentative peace for three decades, Mkritchian introduces us to her four subjects; Sveta, a minesweeper, Siranush, an aspiring local politician, Gayane, the owner of a women’s center, and Sose, a judo champion. In 2020, when conflict breaks out again, their lives are irrevocably changed. A rare document of a war unfolding in real time, Mkritchian’s camera refuses to look away as reality transforms in front of our eyes. Chronicling the nation’s history through collective memory, There Was, There Was Not resists Artsakh’s erasure; a beautiful tribute to a place that no longer exists. (True/False Film Festival)