Dialogue through film project
Still image from one of the 'Dialogue Through Film' films
View the photo gallery for more images from these films or watch them on YouTube
In the early 1990s Armenians and Azerbaijanis fought a bitter war over the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh. At least 25,000 people were killed and up to a million displaced from their homes.
Since the war ended in 1994, ordinary people on both sides have had virtually no contact. A whole new generation has grown up knowing almost nothing about each other. Many have never actually seen a person from ‘the other side’.
In 2006 Conciliation Resources joined forces with three local media organizations, Internews Azerbaijan, Internews Armenia and the Stepanakert Press Club to launch Dialogue Through Film -- a unique bridge-building project helping young Azerbaijanis and Karabakh Armenians to make short films together.
Achievements
Nearly 30 young people have been involved in the project so far. They’ve all received basic training in film-making and together they’ve taken part in workshops, edit sessions and screenings on neutral ground in Georgia.
Between them they’ve made 30 films and two DVDs have been produced to showcase their work.
The first was launched at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London in 2007. The second had its debut at a series of screenings in Yerevan, Stepanakert and Baku in March 2010.
For the young people involved in Dialogue Through Film, the experience has been a big challenge.
For many, meeting for the first time was daunting. But by attending joint training courses and watching their films together, they were able to talk through emotions and difficult issues, and start to build professional relationships and sometimes friendships.
“When you start to talk normally to one person,” said one participant, “you start to think differently about his whole nation too.”
In the initial phase of the project the participants made individual films about life on their side of the conflict and then met up to watch them together. But since 2008 they’ve been producing joint films which portray the devastating effect the Karabakh conflict continues to have on life across the region.
Audiences in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Karabakh have had the chance to watch the films at a series of moderated community screenings. Some have been shown on local television in Armenia, as well as at international conferences and seminars about the Karabakh conflict.
All are now available to view on-line. It remains a huge challenge to get the films shown on national television channels across the region.
Awards
In July 2009 one of the team's films won an award at the Golden Apricot International Film Festival in Armenia. Caucasian Niece tells the story of an Azeri nurse married to an Armenian who stayed on in Karabakh after the war and hasn’t seen her family for over a decade. It follows her journey from Karabakh to a small Ukrainian town for an emotional reunion with her much-loved uncle and cousins.
Films now on-line
The following films have now been made and are available to view:
After Thirteen Years
Revival
Musa
What Do We Want?
Bug-gobblers
Citizenship: Refugee
Tough Nut
Swept Away by Life
How Fate Knocks at the Door
Karabakh Fairy Tale
Spectrum
Kamancha-nameh
Style And Me
Salam Aleikum, Caucasus
Shusha Under Canvas
Download
My Enemy - My Friend
At The 8th Kilometre
My Niece From the Caucasus
Catharsis
All Films About Love
You can watch these films online, take a look at our Dialogue Through Film photo gallery or read a BBC website feature on the project: in English and Russian.
