A new documentary by Alexis Pazoumian, 'The Black Garden', offers a look into the human toll of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The film, shot over three years, culminates with the 2023 surrender of Nagorno-Karabakh's separatist government.
The documentary highlights the experiences of two preteen boys, Samvel and Avo, in the village of Talish, where they navigate a childhood marked by wartime trauma and the constant threat of conflict. Scenes show them scavenging in a bombed-out school and learning to assemble guns.
Pazoumian's work also features Erik, a young Armenian recruit. The film portrays his journey from an energetic recruit to returning from the frontline having lost a leg, and his subsequent path to regaining optimism through physical therapy and rehabilitation.