There Was, There Was Not Review: True Nightmarish Fairytale

There Was, There Was Not tells the real stories of four powerful women, encapsulating the triumphs and tragedies of human existence in the process.

Simply consider the title: There Was, There Was Not. This phrase is how Armenians begin their stories, rather than the more common expression “once upon a time.” This idiom reveals those common contradictions in life, showing the fickleness of every situation. “There was, there was not a heaven,” says the opening narration, describing the small country of Artsakh. With this one line, the audience realizes they are going to witness both the rise and fall of a beautiful homeland.

This story is told through the lens of four women: Sose, a martial artist with a soft side; Siranush, an independent politician seeking office; Sveta, a brave worker who disarms mines left from war in the 1990s; and Gayane, a social worker fighting for equality and freedom. As the country escapes war only to slip back into it, these four women act as abstract, hopeful symbols for a better world, even as the film laces each of them with their unique personalities and virtues.

Director Emily Mkrtichian’s camera cautiously captures both a fairytale and a nightmare as she tells the women’s stories. Some of the establishing shots and scenes showcase the beauty of this small country, but these shots become interspersed between scenes of war and destruction. Mkrtichian did not know she would be caught in the midst of another conflict while filming, but decided to stay and continue recording what was happening on the ground. Her filmmaking should be commended, and her bravery celebrated.

What the film clearly articulates above all else is the need for human connection, especially during chaos and turmoil. The women’s connection to each other and their collective relationship to their homeland offer a sense of hope that is desperately needed as the audience watches that same homeland being occupied and destroyed. Text at the movie’s conclusion details how Azerbajinian forces began a military offensive in late 2023, how the remaining ethnic Armenians fled, and how Artsakh was officially dissolved at the beginning of this year.

While there might be a little too much text throughout this doc — one that is at its best when resorting to visual storytelling — these final moments reveal how quickly things can change. As a result, the four women at the film’s center are not in the same place they once were. Lives have been uprooted forever. But the movie also makes clear that these women are still doing what they can to inspire hope and change. Even in darkness, light shines.

A line from Siranush summarizes this doc quite powerfully: “How different and contradictory life can be.” This is a bittersweet lesson we all learn, though some are put to the test more harshly than others. The four women at the heart of this story were, and continue to be, tested. There Was, There Was Not films its scenes and characters like a fairytale, but equally captures the nightmarish reality that springs from evil and war. Ugliness and beauty are truthfully conveyed, something only the most powerful documentaries can do.

There Was, There Was Not will have its New York premiere at DOC NYC on November 18, 2024 at Village East by Angelika, where it will also be screened on November 20; both screenings will be followed by a Q&A with director Emily Mkrtichian. The film will also be available to watch online nationwide on DOC NYC’s virtual platform from November 19.