Daniel Kötter
Germany, Armenia | 2023 | 96 min
World premiere
Language : Armenian
Subtitles : English, French
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the control of Karabakh rumbles on stealthily. From Lake Sevan to the gold mine of Sotk—occupied by Azerbaijan since the 44-Day War of 2020—Daniel Kötter travels through a border valley surrounded by mountains, encountering the people who anxiously watch on as those in power tear each other apart at their expense.
A rickety Zhiguli is jolting along a valley surrounded by mountains between Lake Sevan and Azerbaijan. The vehicle, carrying filmmaker Daniel Kötter, welcomes aboard inhabitants of this region in the East of Armenia. They speak about the six-week war waged in autumn 2020 by the Azerbaijanis over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh Region. Although this region is located further to the south, the conflict has now moved the border further up. It now runs through the Sotk gold mine, a concession to which was granted by the Armenians to a Russian company in 2007. The region is thus now partially occupied by the “Turks”, as they are nicknamed. This magnificently framed road movie weaves together stories from the war and the gold mining operation, which appear as two facets of the same violence inflicted on the landscape. By giving a voice to those who watch with concern as the powers on both sides tear each other apart at their expense, Landshaft reveals the profound psychogeography subjected to the deadly logic of post-Soviet ethno-nationalism.
Emmanuel Chicon
