‘Black Orchards: Azerbaijan and Armenia’s Wars”

‘Black Orchards: Azerbaijan and Armenia’s Wars” receives best short documentary award

21:40 11 July 2019 Read: 2326

The internationally acclaimed documentary “Black Orchards: Azerbaijan and Armenia's Wars” on the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the occupied Karabakh has received the "Best Short Documentary" award at the Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival in Los Angeles, USA.

The award ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on January 25, 2020 in Hollywood, California.

Directed and produced by Atakan Kerkuklu of Turkey and written by Oubai Shahbandar from the United States, ‘Black Orchards’ is the only international documentary that offers a direct on the ground perspective on the consequences of the Karabakh conflict and gives voice to the victims of the Khojaly massacre. “Black Orchards” was produced in the TRT World studio in Istanbul and had its world premiere on February 26 this year.

The documentary also received other international award nominations including, New Vision International Film Festival in Amsterdam, Award nomination: Los Angeles International Film Festival and New York Lift-Off Film Festival.

In this 26-minute exclusive documentary, TRT World travels to the frontlines separating Azerbaijan and Armenia for a never before seen first-hand perspective of the ongoing conflict in the South Caucasus between the two rivals over Armenian-occupied Karabakh, and how the Khojaly massacre - committed by Armenian forces three decades ago - continues to haunt survivors.

In February 1992, an unprecedented massacre was committed against the Azerbaijani population in the town of Khojaly. This bloody tragedy, which became known as the Khojaly genocide, involved the extermination or capture of the thousands of Azerbaijanis; the town was razed to the ground. Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenian armed forces with the help of the infantry guards regiment No. 366 of the former USSR implemented the seizure of Khojaly - a small town situated in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

This is the first major award for the best short documentary. ‘Black Orchards’ has received six official selections by various international film festivals thus far. The red carpet award ceremony to be held on January 25, 2020, will be hosted by the Hollywood International moving picture film festival in Los Angeles, California.