THERE WAS, THERE WAS NOT Trailer: Four Women Survive War in a Lost Country in Moving Debut Documentary

Life in a lost country comes into focus in one of DOC NYC’s most acclaimed selections, There Was, There Was Not. Emily Mkrtichian makes her directorial debut with this documentary that follows the lives of four women in Artsakh, a disputed breakaway Armenian state that bordered Azerbaijan and Armenia. The former country’s defeat of the Nagorno-Karabakh territory last year caused Artsakh’s dissolution which occurred at the beginning of 2024, making this film timely and emotionally impactful. Mkrtichian captures the lives of these four women leading up to Azerbaijan’s invasion of the state and its aftermath. The documentary has been widely praised by critics and filmmakers alike, including Oscar-nominated director Atom Egoyan who calls it, “a deeply felt and beautifully made film.” Ahead of its DOC NYC premiere on November 18, the first trailer has arrived.

Here’s the official synopsis:

In 2018, Emily Mkrtichian initially set out to make a film about the daily lives and hopes of women in Artsakh–an autonomous, disputed ethnically Armenian territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia with an enduring legacy of conflict. She followed a minesweeper, an aspiring politician, a women’s rights activist, and a judo champion as they navigated a precarious peace while building their lives and communities. In 2020, when Azerbaijan launched a surprise attack and war broke out again, Mkrtichian continued filming as shelling began around her, witnessing her subjects’ worlds and dreams immediately transform. The documentary evolved from an observational meditation on strength into an urgent portrayal of survival, capturing the personal and cultural impacts of a homeland at risk of loss, and the power of story to keep it alive.

Check out the trailer and poster below. Get tickets to the DOC NYC premiere here.

Liked it? Take a second to support Hammer to Nail on Patreon!