The Center for Truth and Justice commends the Berlin International Film Festival, Berlinale, for screening Black Bach Arstakh despite on-line backlash by Azerbaijanis. The movie is based on interviews with Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabagh, known as Artsakh by its centuries-long Armenian inhabitants, that reflect on the war, identity and belonging.
On March 2, 2021, Berlinale released the following statement, “[w]e understand that the film ‘Black Bach Artsakh’ … touches upon complex issues and painful memories in the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia…[but] silencing the voices of filmmakers is not the way forward.”
The Center for Truth and Justice stands to amplify the voices of indigenous people by memorializing their untold stories. We echo the sentiments of Berlinale and commend them for their courage in defense of art, freedom and truth.
