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There Was, There Was Not

There Was, There Was Not

October 24, 2025
Official Selection of the 2024 True/False Film Fest.

Details About the Film

Limited run!

Even after declaring independence 1991, Artsakh remains in the crosshairs of a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this richly textured tapestry, filmmaker Emily Mkritchian weaves the story of Artsakh through the daily lives of four women in peace in 2018 and after war unfolds in 2020. There Was, There Was Not had its world premiere at True/False Film Fest in 2024 and returns to Columbia for its theatrical release.

True/False 2024 & 2025 volunteers are eligible for free admission to screenings of There Was, There Was Not. Free admission will be provided at the Ragtag Box Office only with T/F 2024 or T/F 2025 volunteer passes. Free admission is eligible for same-day screenings. T/F volunteers are unable to reserve a free ticket in advance. 

Director(s): Emily Mkrtichian
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 95 minutes
Country: Armenia, United States
Language(s): Armenian, English
Content Warning(s): Combat Situations
Accessibility Options: ListenTech (Hearing Impaired / Personal Amplified Audio Receiver w/optional T-Coil loop)

Film Reviews

"A bold act of narrative resistance."

–Stephen Saito, The Moveable Feast

"An observational heart pounder that explores the acts of preservation, mourning, and displacement." 

–Edward Frumkin, The Brooklyn Rail

"There Was, There Was Not is a powerful tribute to a former country, and a frustrating illustration of a people’s dream turned nightmare.”

–Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com

 

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