There Was, There Was Not

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There Was, There Was Not

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1h 34m

Documentary

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THERE WAS, THERE WAS NOT follows four women living in the Republic of Artsakh, an unrecognized country reckoning with the aftermath of one war while on the precipice of another. In the midst of this uncertainty, four women build a life with the hope of making their home a better place. When war breaks out again, what began as an observational meditation on women's roles after conflict becomes an urgent and intimate record of their lives interrupted once again by war. From taking up arms on the front lines to fleeing their homes as refugees, we watch each woman's life change irrevocably. The war ends in the unimaginable: the complete erasure of their homeland. Amid these women's struggle for survival in a new reality, this film becomes the myth of a home lost forever, and the power of story to keep it alive.

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Phuong Le

Guardian

Though their professions vary, they are all committed to bettering the community, a testament to the strong cultural bonds that exist here. Captured with dynamism and intimacy, their individual stories collide when war breaks out in 2020.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 4, 2025

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Susannah Gruder

IndieWire

The title of Armenian-American filmmaker Emily Mkrtichian’s documentary is drawn from the traditional opening line of Armenian fairy tales and fables, and the words become a fitting mantra throughout this poetically constructed film

Rated: A

Dec 12, 2024

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Scott Tobias

The Reveal

There Was, There Was Not becomes a wrenching memorial for a country that no longer exists, a fairy tale without a happily ever after.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 1, 2024

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Michael Nordine

Movie Brief

An especially vital document of a place that, like far too much of Armenia’s rich cultural tapestry, can only be referred to in the past tense.

Nov 3, 2025

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Dave Giannini

Geek Vibes Nation

The film truly does show us the meaning behind “there was, there was not.” The stories that we tell are not just enjoyable; they are necessary.

Rated: 8.5/10

Nov 1, 2025

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

The more intimate focus Mkrtichan chooses vividly conveys the haplessness felt by citizens robbed of not just of homes and loved ones, but their very national identity.

Oct 30, 2025

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Emily Mkrtichian

Director

Siranush Sargsyan

Self

Svetlana Harutunyan

Self

Gayane Hambardzumyan

Self

Sosè Balasanyan

Self

Emily Mkrtichian

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Synopsis

THERE WAS, THERE WAS NOT follows four women living in the Republic of Artsakh, an unrecognized country reckoning with the aftermath of one war while on the precipice of another. In the midst of this uncertainty, four women build a life with the hope of making their home a better place. When war breaks out again, what began as an observational meditation on women's roles after conflict becomes an urgent and intimate record of their lives interrupted once again by war. From taking up arms on the front lines to fleeing their homes as refugees, we watch each woman's life change irrevocably. The war ends in the unimaginable: the complete erasure of their homeland. Amid these women's struggle for survival in a new reality, this film becomes the myth of a home lost forever, and the power of story to keep it alive.

Director: Emily Mkrtichian
Producer: Mara Adina, Emily Mkrtichian, Brock Williams
Screenwriter: Emily Mkrtichian
Distributor: Watermelon Pictures
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Armenian
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 10, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 34m