Director Emily Mkrtichian joins us to discuss 'There Was, There Was Not,' her documentary that began filming in 2016 and evolved in devastating ways no one could have anticipated. Emily opens up about the mythology embedded in the film's title, a traditional Armenian storytelling phrase, and how the story she set out to tell transformed from hopeful beginnings into a chronicle of war and survival as conflict erupted.

Our conversation explores how Emily reckoned with this unpredictable evolution, documenting real trauma as it unfolded rather than the narrative she originally envisioned. She discusses her decision to center the film around four women, keeping them in focus as war began engulfing their lives.

Emily reveals how maintaining this intimate perspective amid chaos became both a creative anchor and an ethical responsibility in bearing witness to these women's experiences.

(Photo credit: Chris Natalie)