On the 27th day of September 2020, Azerbaijani forces supported by NATO member Turkey launched full scale attacks on the Armenian region of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh. Former British Royal Marines Commando turned documentary filmmaker Emile Ghessen, travelled to the region to see firsthand what was going on. The war lasted 44 days and on the 45th day, a trilateral peace agreement was signed, ending hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan. With thousands of men killed and thousands of people displaced from their homes, Armenia lost the majority of their territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The raw unseen footage of 45 Days: The Fight for a Nation tells the story of the war and post-war from an Armenian perspective in a humanistic feature documentary film. 

Note: At the time of publication, Emile is in Ukraine covering the Russia-Ukraine war. If ongoing conflict prevents him from travelling to Australia, a pre-recorded Q&A will be screened post the film.  

Content Warning: This film contains graphic violence leading to death and images and voices of deceased persons. Viewer discretion is advised.

Emile Ghessen | Armenia | 2021 | 95 min | Documentary | English | Exempt from classification – recommended R18+