Armenian independence documentary released online after years-long legal dispute

Panorama

A documentary film chronicling Armenia’s path to independence has been released online following a protracted legal dispute between its creator and the country’s public broadcaster.

Hovhannes Movsisyan, Executive Director of Armenia’s Public Television, announced that Our Road to Independence, a documentary by filmmaker, screenwriter and publicist Tigran Paskevichyan, is now available on the broadcaster’s official YouTube channel.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Movsisyan said the film, previously described as “banned”, was relased after a recent court ruling determined that the author had violated the broadcaster’s copyright. He also noted earlier breaches of contractual deadlines by the filmmaker.

“Now that Public Television’s rights have been restored and with the approval of the Public Broadcaster’s Council, we are making the film publicly accessible so that audiences can evaluate it themselves,” Movsisyan said, adding that he considers the matter closed.

The documentary, commissioned by Public Television and completed in 2020, examines the political struggle in Armenia between 1988 and 1991, a pivotal period leading to independence. Despite being funded by the state budget, the film had not been publicly screened for several years. Legal action by the broadcaster had previously blocked all forms of exhibition, including cinema screenings.

Speaking to Panorama.am earlier, Paskevichyan suggested the lack of release was politically motivated. He argued that the current authorities are attempting to reinterpret Armenia’s modern history, particularly the events surrounding the Karabakh movement.

“I have created a film based on factual evidence,” he said. “Let viewers see those facts and compare them with the current political narrative.”