Junior Eurovision as a pedestal for conflict // Production Notes
View towards Nagorno-Karabakh from the Lachin Corridor coming from Goris (c) Sascha Klamp
Producing The Blockade under duress was an immense challenge. With limited media coverage of the region, the world remained unaware as Azerbaijan effectively closed off Nagorno-Karabakh. Under the guise of environmentalism, their military posing as civilians blockaded the only road access.
From afar in London, it was difficult to grasp the true scale of the crisis destined to engulf Armenia. In December 2022, I consulted contacts on the ground and in the Diaspora, discussing how to raise awareness. As a documentary filmmaker, I aim to see beyond the headlines and find human stories to share. I sought to maintain an eyewitness perspective on the unfolding narrative.
The situation demanded action to illuminate the plight of the people. My role was to cut through the ambiguity and shine a light on the truth through my lens. By capturing their struggles firsthand, I hoped to give the story the international attention it deserved.
On January 2nd, 2022 I flew out to Yerevan.
The Narrative
This production needed two heroes, at least the way I saw it at first. But let me explain.
I flew out with a vague idea at best. In my research during the holidays of December '22, I noted that Junior Eurovision had taken place in mid-December. The runner-up Nare, a local, had come second. Could she be the person to collaborate with to tell the plight of the people? But first, I had to get access to Nare. This had to wait until I touched ground in Yerevan.
Identifying how to get access to Nare was a challenge, a producer's challenge. I eventually managed to speak to her manager. He had taken some days off and was in Singapore when we finally managed to connect. He suggested that she could be part of the narrative - he agreed that my storyboard was a brave one. However, he would only be returning in a few days so a commitment would have to wait until his return. He wanted to meet me first, with my translator.
The Youth
I knew I needed to find people directly affected by the closure of the border. But where would I find them?
In my quest for a narrative, it had transpired to me via some of my contacts, that a group of youth was stranded in Goris. Goris, an otherwise picturesque village located south-east of Yerevan. It was the nearest town connecting it to Nagorno-Karababk via the now infamous Lachin-Corridor.
These youth had attended the Junior Eurovision competition by invitation of the national broadcaster earlier in December. The invitation followed an initiative by Aida K., an advisor to the then Ministry of Culture, Media and Youth. She had organised transport to Yerevan to attend the event and had selected the teenagers based on individual merits, many of whom were nationally recognised musicians.
Democracy - Where Is The West When It is Needed?
It is astounding that the United Kingdom and the European Union have largely stayed stumm on the unfolding events. Sure, there are activists, in a good sense, who carry the torch on behalf of the entire people. But where are the Editors in our mainstream media? It is simply astonishing that the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and the humanitarian crisis barely made into the news, never mind the main evening news.
The Economist, 01.01.2024, Wendell Steavenson
