The Armenian Documentary “1489”: A Story of Love, Loss, and Resilience, Now Reaching Audiences in China

1489 is a deeply moving documentary that follows the personal journey of Shoghakat Vardanyan and her family as they navigate the painful search for her younger brother, Soghomon. A 21-year-old student and musician on the verge of completing his mandatory military service, Soghomon went missing during Azerbaijan’s military attacks on Armenia in September 2020. His remains were tragically identified only by the number “1489.”

For two years, Vardanyan’s family endured an emotional struggle to uncover the truth, a journey documented with raw honesty and heart. The film captures their battle to cope with uncertainty and loss while reflecting the broader scars left by the Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Now, 1489 makes its way to China, where it will be screened at the prestigious West Lake IDF Film Festival in Hangzhou on October 26 and 27 (Location: China Academy of Art, located at No. 352, Xiangshan Road, Zhuantang Town, Xihu District, Hangzhou). The film’s arrival on this international platform is a testament to the power of its message, bridging cultures and touching audiences far beyond Armenia. Director Shoghakat Vardanyan will attend the festival’s opening, expressing her hope to see fellow Armenians in the audience as her family’s story of resilience and remembrance reaches viewers in a new corner of the world.

It’s worth mentioning that “1489” clinched the prestigious top prize for Best Film at the renowned International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). The IDFA jury, in their commendation, characterized “1489” as “a film that acts as a piercing light, making visible the vast hidden interior landscape of grief and creating a tangible presence from unbearable absence.” The jury further extolled the film’s profound impact, describing it as a cinematic tool of survival that compels audiences to confront aspects they might prefer to overlook.