‘Sylvain from Teghut’: A Debut About Empathy Born in Wartime

During the most difficult period of military actions in Artsakh, a group of students from the State Theatre and Film Institute of Armenia created a powerful and moving documentary, “Sylvain from Teghut”. The film’s author and director, Artak Harutyunyan, shared details of the unique experience, during which the project team lived and filmed alongside the film’s main character while Teghut was gradually abandoned by its residents.

“Despite the emotional and physical challenges, we, as professionals, continued filming. The protagonist of the film is not Armenian, yet he deeply understands our culture, our pain. He listened to the Armenian anthem every day—literally waking up to it. It was sincere and touched us to the depths of our souls,” Harutyunyan shared in an interview with Alpha News.

The film received high praise within the academic community. Anna Yerznkyan, an advisor to the rector of the Yerevan State Theatre and Film Institute, underscored the importance of student diploma projects, noting that Artak Harutyunyan’s film is not just an academic work but a full-fledged debut that demonstrates maturity and professionalism.

The project “Sylvain from Teghut” became not only an important stage for the creative team but also an emotional statement about human solidarity, the ability to feel the pain of another people, and maintaining dignity in the most difficult moments.

It should be noted that the documentary is currently being presented at the International Eurasian Film Festival, taking place in Sochi, Russia.