Genre
Synopsis
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 Mkrtichian 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, Mkrtichian’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.
Bio
Emily Mkrtichian is a filmmaker, multimedia artist, and interdisciplinary creative collaborator. Emily’s evolving artistic practice reflects her upbringing in a displaced, diasporic family, and centers the decolonized narratives of women, especially from the SWANA region, and a deep commitment to the healing power of relational, ethical, collaborative storytelling. Her films includes the sci-fi short Transmission, which premiered at BFI FLARE Film Festival, the short documentary Motherland, which premiered at the Full Frame Film Festival and won the Best Short Documentary Award at the Copenhagen International Film Festival, and the feature documentary film, There Was, There Was Not, which has been supported by the Sundance Institute, the IDA, Chicken & Egg Pictures and HotDocs. Her immersive, multimedia installation Luys i Luso, created in collaboration with Tigran Hamasyan, has been exhibited in NYC (BRIC Arts), LA (Arts Activation fund recipient for public art), Istanbul (DEPO Gallery), Munich (Unterfahrt), Armenia, and Bulgaria (European Capital of Culture). Emily has been a Flaherty Seminar Fellow, a LA Public Arts Activation Fund recipient, A Locarno Film Festival Open Doors grant winner, a UnionDocs Summer Lab Fellow, a resident at the Yerevan Institute of Contemporary Art, and participated in the Torino Film Lab. She currently splits her time between the US and Armenia.
Screening History
World Premiere - True/False Film Fest 2024
Golden Apricot International Film Festival 2024
Mar del Plata International Film Festival 2024
DOC NYC International Film Festival 2024
New Orleans Film Festival, 2024
Awards History
FIPRESCI International Critics Award & Jury Special Mention- Golden Apricot Film Festival 2024
Audience Award & First Jury Special Mention - Mar del Plata International Film Festival
Best Feature Documentary Film - Tacoma Film Festival 2024
Juror's Choice Award, Centre Film Festival 2024
Press
"“Poetically constructed... Emphasizes bravery and resilience in the face of the war while also serving as a time capsule of their lost, beloved homeland.”"
INDIEWIRE, Susannah Gruder
"“There Was, There Was Not” is a powerful tribute to a former country, and a frustrating illustration of a people’s dream turned nightmare."
RogerEbert.com
""Taking its title from the opening line from most Armenian fairy tales, Emily Mkrtichian’s feature documentary debut focuses on a land that is, sadly, just as ephemeral as the magic of childhood.""
Filmmaker Magazine, Natalia Keogan
""A stirring tribute to a lost homeland, There Was… calls attention to the scourge of ethnic cleansing in corners of the world long overlooked by American media.""
Hyperallergic: 'The 25 Best Films of 2024', Eileen G’Sell
"An indelible portrait of its citizens whose spirit was as responsible for a sense of place as much as the land beneath their feet and while memories of what was could fade, the way it is talked about will continue to bring it to life."
Moveable Fest, Stephen Saito
Credits
Executive Producer - Alexandria Bombach
Editor - Alexandria Bombach
Producer - Brock Williams
