Rachael is a Melbourne-based writer/director from Yorkshire, UK. When she isn't making film, she's watching and ranting about them over on @cinemablographer. Bylines: Girls on Tops, Metro, Film Inquiry

Rachael Sampson

There Was, There Was Not - Interview with Emily Mkrtichian

There Was, There Was Not – Interview with Film Director Emily Mkrtichian

When Emily Mkrtichian began filming There Was, There Was Not, she never imagined she would find herself documenting the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh's Indigenous people. But when war returned in 2020, her film took on a new shape - becoming an archive of Artsakh's history and a testament to those who once called it home.

Film Interviews

There Was, There Was Not

Several women from Artsakh share their stories, plans, and dreams of a better life as they rebuild themselves in the aftermath of war. A year later, their trajectory is forever changed when war is declared once more, forcing them to adapt to a new, harrowing reality as Azerbaijan commits genocide on the indigenous people.

Documentary Film Reviews