
Motherland: A Documentary
In a former war zone with one of the worst landmine problems in the world, three women deminers defy gender stereotypes and working for a safer and more peaceful future for their country.
What if fighting for your country meant going against some of its most traditional values? Forgotten Fields is a documentary about the women who shake tradition to rid their country of landmines leftover from a devastating ethnic war. Individually outcast; together, a collective - the deminers support each other as they take on the dangerous role of breaking stereotypes and securing the future of their war-torn republic.
Shabo, a 23 year old deminer, uses her salary to provide for her 14 brothers and sisters. Varditer fled an abusive, alcoholic husband after 15 years, and now can raise her children with her salary alone. Lilit, the youngest girl in the minefields ignores her traditional society's pressure to become a wife and mother by building a career for herself in the fields. Following these three women, this film will highlight the foundational role women play in post-conflict areas, despite the abuse and discrimination they face every day.
Why are we raising funds?
Having completed the principal photography for the film, we are raising funds to finish post-production and get the film out into the world. We have also created a social impact plan for the film that includes screenings in other post-conflict zones around the world to inspire other women to work towards peace, security and their human rights.
What will your money go to?
When you choose to support this project through donations, it helps us move closer towards completion of the following:
Music composition: We are working with talented Armenian multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Angel Deradoorian (formerly of Dirty Projectors) to create a soundtrack for this film that echos the history and spirit of these women. She will interpret these women's folk songs into a moving and unique soundtrack.
Color correction and sound design: Two essential elements in bringing together the tone and feel of a film, we have chosen to mix archival footage of the war with present-day images of the sweeping landscapes, and want to combine them into a unique color profile and soundscape.
Archival footage: We include heavy, but vital archival footage from the 1992-1994 Nagorno-Karabagh war.
Screenings and outreach: We will create a screening tour for the film through several post-Soviet countries, as well as other post-conflict zones. We will create relationships with partner organizations in each country and arrange talks and Q&A sessions.
Film Crew - Who are we?
This film is being made by a small, dedicated team committed to telling this incredible story.
Emily Mkrtichian (Director, Producer) is an American-Armenian filmmaker and writer. Her films touch on themes of memory, place and identity, and have travelled to film festivals around the world and been broadcast on major European TV channels. Her work includes directing reportage films aired on ARTE France/Germany; producing the award-winning short film 140 Drams (Camerimage, Clermont-Ferrand, Best Int’l short Izmir IFF 2013); the viral web documentary Levon: a Wondrous Life ; and the short, visually stunning documentary Traversed , which has traveled to festivals in several countries. In 2016, she created an immersive multimedia installation after going on tour with jazz prodigy Tigran Hamasyan through Armenia and Turkey. The piece, Luys i Luso , has been exhibited in Yerevan, Munich, Los Angeles, New York, and Istanbul and continues to travel.
Jesse Soursourian (Director, Producer) is a writer and director based in New York City. He wrote the script for the short film Hugh the Hunter, directed by Oscar nominee Zachary Heinzerling, and which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival as well as other festivals around the world. His feature screenplays have gained recognition from numerous festivals and contests including Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope. As a director, Jesse's short documentary, They Were Afraid of Us, screened at multiple festivals at home and abroad.
Alex Igidbashian (Director of Photography) is an Armenian-American documentary and commercial cinematographer whose images encapsulate the the natural beauty of real-life stories. His films have taken him across the globe, but usually center around Armenia, where he lived for a number of years. Constantly embracing the newest cinema technologies and techniques, Alex’s approach is entrenched in the mindset that cinematic images do not have to sacrificed in the pursuit of a compelling documentary story.
Kohar Minassian (Editor) is an Armenian-American SF Bay native, currently living in NYC. She has worked as a video editor for some of the biggest and most innovative media outlets around, including HuffPost, NowThis, and Mic. She combines a journalistic integrity with a creative eye to help craft meaningful stories.
Be a part of raising the voices of these brave women who are risking their lives to make their country a safer place, and fighting stereotypes of what should be considered Women's Work.