In the Republic of Artsakh—an unrecognized nation—four women reckon with the aftermath of war, rebuilding their lives with the hope of making their home a better place. But the eruption of renewed conflict transforms this exploration of women's roles after war into an urgent, intimate chronicle of lives shattered once more. From taking up arms to fleeing as refugees, the four women’s stories unfold against the backdrop of their homeland's erasure through ethnic cleansing. Amid the struggle for survival in a new reality, this film becomes a poignant myth of a home lost forever, and the power of story to keep it alive.

There Was, There Was Not is a 2022 (Egg)celerator Lab finalist and a participant of Project: Hatched 2024.