Motherland (2022 film)

Last updated
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

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]

Contents

Synopsis

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

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

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

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagorno-Karabakh</span> Geopolitical region in Azerbaijan

Nagorno-Karabakh is a region in Azerbaijan, covering the southeastern stretch of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range. Part of the greater region of Karabakh, it spans the area between Lower Karabakh and Syunik. Its terrain mostly consists of mountains and forestland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stepanakert</span> City in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan

Stepanakert or Khankendi is a ghost city in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The city was under the control and the capital city of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh prior to the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in the region. The city is located in a valley on the eastern slopes of the Karabakh mountain range, on the left bank of the Qarqarçay (Karkar) river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of Artsakh</span> Former breakaway state in the South Caucasus (1991–2023)

Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh or the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, was a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Between 1991 and 2023, Artsakh controlled parts of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic, including its capital Stepanakert. It had been an enclave within Azerbaijan from the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war until the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive, when the Azerbaijani military took control over the remaining territory controlled by Artsakh. Its only overland access route to Armenia after the 2020 war was via the five kilometres (3.1 mi)–wide Lachin corridor, which was placed under the supervision of Russian peacekeeping forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagorno-Karabakh conflict</span> 1988–2024 conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians until 2023, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaijanis until their expulsion during the 1990s. The Nagorno-Karabakh region was entirely claimed by and partially controlled by the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, but was recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan gradually re-established control over Nagorno-Karabakh region and the seven surrounding districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Artsakh</span>

The Republic of Artsakh was a republic with limited recognition in the South Caucasus region. The Republic of Artsakh controlled most of the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. It was recognized only by three other non-UN member states, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria. The rest of the international community recognized Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan. In November 2012, a member of Uruguay's foreign relations committee stated that his country could recognize Nagorno-Karabakh's independence. In 2012, Armenia and Tuvalu established diplomatic relations, which led to speculation of possible recognition of Artsakh by Tuvalu. In October 2012, the Australian state of New South Wales recognized Nagorno-Karabakh. In September 2014, the Basque Parliament in Spain adopted a motion supporting Artsakh's right to self-determination and in November 2014, the Parliament of Navarre, also in Spain, issued a statement supporting Artsakh's inclusion in taking part in settlement negotiations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arayik Harutyunyan</span> President of Artsakh from 2020 to 2023 (born 1973)

Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan is an Armenian politician who served as the fourth president of the Republic of Artsakh from May 2020 to September 2023. Under his predecessor Bako Sahakyan, he served as the sixth and last Prime Minister from 2007 until the abolishment of that position in 2017 and as the first State Minister of the Republic of Artsakh from 2017 until his resignation in 2018. Harutyunyan led Artsakh through the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War with Azerbaijan, during which the republic lost most of the territory under its control. He resigned on 1 September 2023 in the midst of the Azerbaijani blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tugh (village)</span> Place in Khojavend, Azerbaijan

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political status of Nagorno-Karabakh</span> Status of a disputed region in the Caucasus

The political status of Nagorno-Karabakh remained unresolved from its declaration of independence on 10 December 1991 to its September 2023 collapse. During Soviet times, it had been an ethnic Armenian autonomous oblast of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a conflict arose between local Armenians who sought to have Nagorno-Karabakh join Armenia and local Azerbaijanis who opposed this.

Vic Gerami is an Armenian-American journalist, LGBT activist, and columnist based in Los Angeles, California. He is the host and producer of the radio show The Blunt Post with Vic and the editor and publisher of The Blunt Post.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Nagorno-Karabakh War</span> Armed conflict in South Caucasus

The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerbaijan, Armenia and the self-declared Armenian breakaway state of Artsakh. The war lasted for 44 days and resulted in Azerbaijani victory, with the defeat igniting anti-government protests in Armenia. Post-war skirmishes continued in the region, including substantial clashes in 2022.

The following is list of the official reactions to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.

During its existence, the Republic of Artsakh and the United States did not have official diplomatic relations as the United States was among the vast majority of countries that did not recognize Artsakh as a sovereign nation and instead recognized the region of Artsakh, or Nagorno-Karabakh, as part of Azerbaijan. Despite no formal relations, the Republic of Artsakh had a representative office in Washington, D.C. since November 1997. It is not known whether the office still functions after the apparent dissolution of Artsakh.

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Armenian prisoners of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War are servicemen of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, as well as civilians and other detainees, who surrendered or were forcibly captured by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces during and after the conflict in 2020 between Azerbaijan and the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh together with Armenia in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenia–Artsakh relations</span> Bilateral relations

Armenia–Artsakh relations were the foreign relations between the former unrecognized Republic of Artsakh and Armenia. The Republic of Artsakh controlled most of the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Artsakh had very close relations with Armenia. It functioned as a de facto part of Armenia. A representative office of Nagorno-Karabakh exists in Yerevan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh</span> Part of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

The blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh was an event in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The region was disputed between Azerbaijan and the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, which had an ethnic Armenian population and was supported by neighbouring Armenia, until the dissolution of Republic of Artsakh on 28 September 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 Schenden, Laurie (July 21, 2022). "'Motherland': Another Move in Putin's Chess Game?". GoWEHO.com. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  2. 1 2 Aghakhanian, Christine (8 September 2022). ""Motherland" Exposes War Crimes Committed Against Armenians by Azerbaijan and Turkey". Massis Post. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  3. 1 2 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. 1 2 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