The War Diary

In 2017, Hakob Melkonyan, an Armenian filmmaker, received an extraordinary document: the war diary of his grandfather. Mobilized in 1942 in the Soviet army, Karapet Melkonyan had kept his diary for two years. Moved by the story of this adventure, Hakob decides to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and discover today’s reality in those territories.

The War Diary is a road movie through four countries: Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and Ukraine. It confronts the history of the Second World War with today's reality in these former Soviet republics. Having become independent after the fall of the USSR, they are now torn apart by numerous deadly conflicts in Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine.

The War Diary is a very personal quest, but also sheds light on the geopolitical context of these countries that once fought side by side. Today, however, with the invasion of Ukraine, it has become an essential project.

EBS International Documentary Festival EIDF (Seoul, 2023) - Official selection
Kosice Independent Film Festival (Slovakia, 2023) - Official selection
Festival International du Film D'histoire (France, 2023) - Official selection
Greece International Film Festival (Athens, 2023) - Honorable Mention