Artsakh war documentary film 1489 wins Rome International Film Festival

 
Shoghakat Vardanyan’s documentary 1489 has been recognized as the winner of the Rome International Documentary Film Festival, Shoghakat Vardanyan said on social media.

“It is truly a great honor, and also a great responsibility,” Vardanyan said.

In 2023, the film received the main prize at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).

The film revolves around the disappearance of the director’s 21-year-old brother, Soghomon Vardanyan, who went missing in the early days of the 44-day war in 2020.

Using her phone camera, his sister Shoghakat decides to film her and her parents’ search and their emotional process. After six months, bones are found, but DNA research is needed to show whether the remains are actually those of Soghomon, and the family will have to wait a year and a half for the results.