THE GHOST REPUBLIC
In September 2023, following Armenia's capitulation to Azerbaijan in the decades-long conflict over the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, over 120,000 Armenians flee, leaving behind everything they have known. After seeing images of this forced exodus, I set out to meet my compatriots.
Upon arrival, I encounter the worn faces of refugees journeying toward Armenia. Among them, I search for Mikaël, a young boy I filmed in 2018 in the village of Talish when he was just 14 years old. I find him and his family in Yaghdan, a village now filled with refugees. Today, they have lost everything. I capture Mikaël’s new life among his people, confronting him with images of the past—a haunting reminder of the Nagorno-Karabakh he cannot forget.
How will they rebuild their lives, as Armenia stands once again on the threshold of new trials?
Upon arrival, I encounter the worn faces of refugees journeying toward Armenia. Among them, I search for Mikaël, a young boy I filmed in 2018 in the village of Talish when he was just 14 years old. I find him and his family in Yaghdan, a village now filled with refugees. Today, they have lost everything. I capture Mikaël’s new life among his people, confronting him with images of the past—a haunting reminder of the Nagorno-Karabakh he cannot forget.
How will they rebuild their lives, as Armenia stands once again on the threshold of new trials?