Motherland (2022 film)

Motherland is a 2022 independent documentary film directed and written by Armenian-American journal Vic Gerami. The film documents the buildup and aftermath of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, from the perspective of Armenians, especially from the Republic of Artsakh.[1][2][3]

Motherland
Directed byVic Gerami
Written byVic Gerami
Produced by
  • Vic Gerami
Starring
  • Vic Gerami
Distributed byThe Blunt Post Media
Release date
  • November 26, 2022 (2022-11-26)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Armenian
  • Azerbaijani
  • Turkish

Synopsis

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Motherland is a documentary about the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War that started in September 2020. The movie attempts to document the attacks against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Armenians by Azerbaijan and Turkey during a 44-day war.

The documentary consists of interviews conducted by journalist and activist Vic Gerami in an effort to document various war crimes alleged against the state of Azerbaijan. The war crimes include violence against civilians, the use of chemical weapons, and mistreatment of POWs.

Throughout his interviews, Gerami gathers testimonies from Amenian-American and international political figures; as well as refugees and war veterans.

Additional information discussed in the movie include the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, also referred to as Artsakh. It discusses the Soviet era. During this era, border lines were drawn up, causing ethnic tensions between the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides, leading up to ethnic cleansing against the local Armenian population throughout the 20th century and now the 21st century. Parallels are drawn between Azerbaijan's 2020 attack on Nagorno-Karabakh and the 1915 Armenian Genocide. The documentary criticises the actions of the Azerbaijani government in the years leading up to the 2020 war.[4]

Cast

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The cast features key figures from the Armenian American political and cultural world, as well as political figures from other Armenia and Europe.

The cast also includes many veterans, civilians, and refugees from the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Reception

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Several members of the US congress were invited to the film's screening, although it is unclear how many attended.[9][1][2]

Panos Kotzathanasis of Asian Movie Plus described the movie as "a well-researched, well-shot and edited documentary that manages to inform its audience".[3]

Awards

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  • 2022 Excellence Award for Docu-drama Feature at the Documentaries Without Borders Film Festival[10]
  • 2022 Exceptional Merit for Direction at the Documentaries Without Borders Film Festival[10]
  • 2022 Best Documentary Feature at the Cannes World Film Festival[11]
  • 2022 August Award award for Best Documentary at the Pure Magic International Film Festival[12]
  • 2022 September Best Indie Documentary Feature at the 8 And HalFilm Awards[13]
  • 2022 September Award for Feature Documentary at the Florence Film Awards[14]
  • 2022 October Honourable Mention at the Paris Film Awards[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Schenden, Laurie (July 21, 2022). "'Motherland': Another Move in Putin's Chess Game?". GoWEHO.com. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b Aghakhanian, Christine (8 September 2022). ""Motherland" Exposes War Crimes Committed Against Armenians by Azerbaijan and Turkey". Massis Post. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b Kotzathanasis, Panos (7 January 2023). "Documentary Review: Motherland (2022) by Vic Gerami". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  4. ^ ""Ilham Aliyev, 2012 Person of the Year in organised crime and corruption". Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Aznavour Foundation Opens New Rehabilitation Center for Artsakh Veterans in Vanadzor, Armenia". October 23, 2021.
  6. ^ "Lords Hansard text for 1 Jul 1997 (170701-19)".
  7. ^ "Senate and House Leaders to Secretary of State Pompeo: Cut Military Aid to Azerbaijan; Sanction Turkey for Ongoing Attacks Against Armenia and Artsakh". Armenian Weekly. October 2, 2020.
  8. ^ "Rep. Brad Sherman calls for applying Global Magnitsky sanctions on Azeri officials". Armenpress. October 10, 2020.
  9. ^ "'Motherland': Another Move in Putin's Chess Game?". GoWEHO.com. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
  10. ^ a b Documentaries Without Borders Film Festival 2022 Awards ]
  11. ^ Cannes World Film Festival 2022 Awards
  12. ^ Pure Magic International Film Festival 2022 Awards
  13. ^ 8 And HalFilm Awards 2022 Awards
  14. ^ Florence Film Awards 2022 Awards
  15. ^ Paris Film Awards 2022
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