The documentary There Was, There Was Not opens with the director’s explanation why the Armenian story begins with “there was, there was not” and not with, “once upon a time.” This story is about four women connected by their profound love to a home they call “Artsakh.” In 2018, American-Armenian director, Emily Mkrtichian, depicts these four indigenous Armenian women as they talk about their personal stories, the aftermath of the war, and their dreams for the future.
Sosè calls Artsakh a special place, as she dances happily down the lush rolling hills, referencing the “The Hills Are Alive” song from the musical classic, Sound of Music. The walls of her home are decorated with uncountable medals she won as judoka. Winning an Olympic medal is a champions’ dream. When Sosè is not fighting, she teaches judo to children to strengthen their body, spirit, and mind. Judo is not her only passion, as she reveals by proudly showing her flower and doll collection. As a child, she never possessed a toy because of the war, she says. Her good luck charm is a small soft toy bear she named Mr Bean and who keeps her company at all competitions.
Sveta enjoys having picnics with her two teenage daughters Nastya and Lucine at the creek. The trio spends time splashing around in the crystal-clear water, with birds chirping in the background. Sveta tells her daughters she dreams of finding a good husband. The single mother earns a living as a land miner. As it is a high-risk job, it is well paid, and is the best option for Sveta to provide for her family. While mining, there is always a fear of death, which is something she brushes aside, by saying “When I had a face-to-face moment with a viper, death did not cross my mind.” Moments before unearthing a landmine, she gets on her knees and gazes over the vast countryside. She, then shields her face, blocks out her emotions and concentrates on safely digging.
After twenty years in public service, Siranush decides to run for election. She tries to convince voters that “we need women” as she hands out pamphlets to pedestrians. It is her first campaign, and historically only a few women were ever elected. During her many hours of campaigning, she promises to make a difference and fight corruption. At the farmer’s market, a male voice screams over a loudspeaker “Our dream of Artsakh is to be free, independent and safe.”
Gayane, founder of the first Artsakh Women Centre, invites a group of women to discuss her organisation’s mission to create a safe environment for victims of domestic violence. Threats of assaults to harm her and her family do not stop her from pursuing her goal. She is convinced that the women centre is the right thing to do in order to strengthen women’s rights and protect them from domestic violence. However, at one of the gatherings, a few young women express their doubts for things to change until the old guard dies out.
Since the early 20th century, Artsakh was subject to dispute. Stalin placed Artsakh, which was predominately inhabited by indigenous Armenians, into Soviet Azerbaijan. After the fall of the USSR, Armenia and Azerbaijan went to war over Artsakh. In 1994, that war ended with a ceasefire. The territory, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, became the unrecognised Republic of Artsakh. However, in 2020, the peaceful period ended in Artsakh, when Azerbaijan invaded the region.
As the conflict turns into war, we witness how the four women’s lives are uprooted. Sosè swaps her judo outfit against a soldier’s uniform and vows to defend her homeland till her last breath. Gone is the goal of winning a medal in the Olympic games. The sound of the missiles awakens harrowing memories in Gayane. The war forces her to abandon her project and flee to Armenia. When Siranush leaves her apartment, she grabs only a few of her belongings, because she intends to return after the war. As for Sveta, her main concern is the safety of her daughters. But with the ongoing ethnical cleansing and mass exodus from Artsakh, their hope for returning to their once peaceful life in Artsakh vanishes.
The quartet talks about trying to cope with war and its harrowing aftermath, while also needing to build a new life in an unknown environment. Sveta is unemployed, Sosè has joined the Armenian Army, Siranush becomes a war journalist, and Gayane is starting to build a centre for Artsakh women in Armenia. By the end of 2023, 190,000 indigenous Armenians were permanently displaced, and in 2024, the Republic of Artsakh ceased to exist.
What makes Emily Mkrtichian’s documentary so powerful is its poignant look into the emotional impact of losing one’s homeland and identity. Despite the diaspora, despair, and an uncertain future, these four women vow to never give up and preserve Artsakh in the collective memory through their storytelling tradition: “There was, there was not…”.
By Barbara Gasser
Edited by Birgit Beumers
© FIPRESCI 2024