Armenia’s Biodiversity Through The Lens Of Film

A tree with a story of survival, the moods of nature and the changing seasons woven into Komitas melodies, a little-known lake tucked away in northern Armenia, and a garden where the memory of a lost homeland lives on… 14 films and reels, each seeing nature through a different lens and bringing a unique story to life. As Armenia Tree Project founder Carolyn Mugar observed, the works offer a remarkable range of perspectives, each shaped by a carefully chosen theme. FROM AN IDEA TO A FILM Ahead of COP17, Armenia Tree Project, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Eye for an Eye Documentary Filmmakers’ Community launched a film and reel competition focused on Armenia’s biodiversity. The initiative aimed to bring the country’s natural heritage into the spotlight through creative storytelling, encouraging audiences to look more closely at the importance of protecting nature and the diversity of life it sustains. “Our goal was not simply to organize a festival for films that had already been made. We wanted to initiate the production process and provide local filmmakers with financial support to create films about Armenia’s biodiversity,” said Hovhannes Ishkhanyan, President of the Eye for an Eye Documentary Filmmakers’ Community, explaining the idea behind the initiative. SEVEN REELS, SEVEN FILMS, ONE SHARED FOCUS: ARMENIA’S NATURE The open call received around 60 submissions. In the first round, a professional jury consisting of documentary filmmakers Inna Mkhitaryan and Arthur Sukiasyan selected 14 projects: seven short-form videos (reels) and seven documentary film scripts. The selected creators received support to bring their ideas to life, and their completed works were presented to an audience. The awards ceremony took place on October 29 in the COP17 Green Zone. And the winners are... The final jury included Nvard Gevorgyan, Education Specialist at Armenia Tree Project; Arevik Avanesyan, President of the Armenian Association of Documentary Filmmakers (ArmDoc); and film director Vahan Khachatryan. Their selections recognized the following works. Best Reel – First Prize The first prize went to Lara Arakelyan for Yew. Through a short, dynamic, and colorful video, she introduces viewers to this remarkable tree, exploring its distinctive properties and the value of taxol, a compound derived from yew trees and used in cancer treatment. Best Reel – Second Prize Hayk Petrosyan received the second prize for Song and Nature. Finding inspiration in the music of Komitas, he explores the moods of nature and the changing seasons through familiar Armenian melodies. His approach is lighthearted and lyrical, with a touch of humor and nostalgia. “There are so many songs about the seasons that we could even present the weather forecast through them,” Hayk says, singing a few familiar lines: “The sky has clouded over...” and “It's cloudy, but the snow isn't falling...” Best Documentary – First Prize The first prize in the documentary category went to Arthur Nazaretyan for The Second Lake, a film about Lake Arpi, located in northern Armenia, near the borders with Georgia and Türkiye. “Armenia has a wonderful lake with a beautiful ecosystem. I wanted to tell people that such a place exists in our country, even though few people know about it,” the filmmaker explains. Best Documentary – Second Prize The second prize went to Siranush Sargsyan for A Broken Flower Takes Root. The film follows a young mother displaced from Artsakh who creates a small world of biodiversity in her garden, surrounding her family with plants that help her preserve the tastes, scents, and memories of her homeland. For the filmmaker, the project was also an important opportunity to tell a story about the home she had left behind, a story rooted in the past, yet full of life and a determination to keep those memories alive. Special Mention A special mention was awarded to Varuzhan Galtakyan for Who Killed the Bezoar Goat?, a musical film that blends humor and documentary storytelling to explore the bezoar goat, its identity, way of life, and uncertain fate. As jury members noted during the ceremony, although the number of awards was limited, all 14 selected works deserved recognition for their originality, distinctive perspectives, and important messages about nature. THE FILMS' JOURNEY CONTINUES The end of the competition does not mean the end of these stories. The films will continue their journey to film festivals and other platforms, bringing stories about Armenia’s biodiversity to wider audiences, including viewers beyond the country's borders. Even the awards themselves reflected the spirit of the competition. The green trophies, created by students of the Mkhitar Sebastatsi Educational Complex, were presented inside birdcages. This symbolic design spoke of nature's longing for freedom and the need to remove the barriers that hold it back. The value of this ATP initiative goes beyond sharing information about trees, animals, and lakes. It offers another way to talk about nature while also telling stories about people, memory, culture, and the future. Because sometimes, images and sounds can tell us far more than words alone.