From Artsakh to Gaza, No One Will Be Free

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Established in 1988, the International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) is recognized as the world’s largest documentary festival. Since its inception, it has become a prestigious platform for independent filmmakers to tell their social, political and personal stories. The IDFA curatorial team continually emphasizes the importance of inclusivity in the festival program. They simultaneously screen films from Russia and Ukraine, as well as Israel and Palestine, undeterred by potential criticism and political pressure.

Orwa Nyrabia, the current artistic director of the festival, is a strong supporter and advocate for this policy. Over the past decade, this Syria-born activist and producer has played an important role in presenting Middle Eastern cinema in Europe, while also helping various filmmakers and artists escape conflict zones. In 2013, “The Return to Homs”, produced by Nyrabia and directed by Talal Derki, won the main prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Derki’s documentary film captured the consequences of civil disobedience and war in this Syrian city. 

The reputation of the festival remained untarnished until October 2023, when the Israeli army invaded Gaza. The festival was slated to take place from November 8-19, just three weeks post-invasion. Remarkably, these three weeks elapsed in complete silence, with many anticipating a declaration of support, an interview, or a call for a ceasefire. The eventual lack of response seemed especially strange, given IDFA’s long-standing, strong partnership with the Palestinian Film Institute, and the fact that the Festival usually includes a day dedicated to a showcase of Palestinian films and projects. Such a program was also planned for 2023 as well. 

Angry about this silence, a group of activists ascended the stage during the festival’s opening ceremony. They carried a banner bearing the famous, yet controversial slogan of the Palestinian movement from the 1960s: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”[1] Nyrabia, who was on the stage at that moment, applauded the demonstration, sparking a scandal that would persist throughout the festival. 

High-ranking members of the Israeli film community were among the first to react. They labeled the slogan as anti-semitic and considered it as a call for Israel’s eradication. Some demanded Nyrabia’s resignation. The IDFA team then made two announcements; the first stated: “the hurtful slogan does not represent us, and we do not endorse it in any way… we believe that this slogan should not be used in any way and by anybody anymore.” Notably, while the Supreme Court of the Netherlands had previously ruled the slogan legitimate, it is considered a criminal offense in Germany. Nyrabia subsequently announced that he had not read the banner and was applauding the freedom of speech, not the slogan itself.

As the situation escalated, the IDFA team issued a second announcement, calling for a ceasefire: “We fully respect and acknowledge the pain that is going around and the extreme urgency of these discussions while war is still on, and innocent civilians are still dying.” They also emphasized that the festival embraces a policy of openness and serves as a safe platform for all voices. However, these neutral announcements did not appease the Israeli community. Instead, they further angered Palestinian filmmakers and the leftist film community that supports Palestine. The Palestinian Film Institute criticized IDFA’s announcements for unjustly criminalizing Palestinian voices and narratives, and called for a boycott of the festival. 

Filipino director Miko Reveza was the first to respond. He had previously stated on social media that he would not send the screening file of his film unless IDFA made a statement. Following IDFA’s pacifist announcements, Reveza withdrew his film from the program. Palestinian experimental artist and director Basma Alsharif, a jury member with four films in the program, also withdrew. Soon, 18 filmmakers, including Sky Hopinka, Jumana Manna and Maryam Tafakory, removed their films. Several festival programmers also joined the movement, in support of Palestine’s struggle for freedom. The remainder of the festival was marked by a tense atmosphere filled with protests, manifestos and boycotts.

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Despite these controversies, the festival proved highly successful for Armenian cinema. The film 1489, presented in the main competition, was awarded the Main Jury and FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) prizes. This made it the first film in the history of the Third Republic of Armenia to receive this award. Previously, during the last years of the Soviet era, Ruben Gevorgyants’ The Islands (1988), a documentary about the 1988 Armenian earthquake, had won the main prize.

1489 is the debut film of young musician and filmmaker Shoghakat Vardanyan. It documents her family’s life during and after the 44-day Artsakh war as they search for their son and brother, Soghomon, who went missing during the military operations. “1489” refers to Soghomon’s number on the list of lost soldiers.

At first seemingly deadpan, but actually relentlessly intense, the documentary recounts the story of the Vardanyan family’s tragedy and unbearable grief. The film primarily consists of conversations between Shoghakat and her father, as well as their desperate search for Soghomon. Simultaneously, the viewer observes as the family members descend into the dark abyss of loss. Attempting to shield herself from this void with her smartphone camera, the director uses her video-diary to cry out for help and attention. She becomes the bearer of this delirium and, without any mercy, forces the viewer to experience the same terror she feels. The intimate directness with which the film tackles these psychological wounds is akin to emotional “pornography” that compels the audience to endure the unbearable pain and sorrow that the characters underwent during and after the war. 

The film is utterly authentic, with the director never resorting to pretense. Vardanyan presents a stark reality without idealizing her family, their relationships, or the love they struggle to give during the most challenging times. The director is not afraid to express feelings of bitterness and neglect, or to protest and ask for attention. The only music in the film is a single song that Vardanyan listens to occasionally. Soghomon, like his sister, was a musician, and the director’s decision to refrain from using any additional music underscores the brother’s absence. 

The film also observes the country’s political situation, incorporating speeches and announcements by the prime minister, discussions and criticism around them, and showcasing the absurdist bureaucracy of a country unprepared for war. It provides only numbers as information, highlighting the despair and hopelessness of the situation which, however, often goes unnoticed by the film’s characters. 

One cannot easily characterize 1489 as either good or bad. It serves as a film-document bearing witness to one of the thousands of similar tragic stories, exposing the horror and the injustice of the war. From a cinematographic perspective, it is an intriguing exploration of the boundaries and ethics of documentary filmmaking, stimulating reflection on the nature of cinema –– what can be considered a film and what boundaries a director should respect. While these questions may not have definitive answers, their consideration fosters a more complex and multilayered approach to this film. 

The success of 1489 at a prestigious institution such as IDFA, signifies the strengthening position of Armenian cinema and its capacity to broach globally-relevant topics from its unique perspective.

[1] The slogan refers to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean sea and includes the West Bank, the entire territory of Israel and Gaza.

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Part 1

Part 2