Gate to Heaven

In April 2016, Robert Sternvall (Richard Sammel), a German journalist, learns about the resumption of military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh and leaves Berlin to cover them. The articles on Operation "Koltso" ("Ring") during the first war in Karabakh brought him great fame years ago. This time his car is bombed and he is taken to a hospital in Yerevan. While the local journalist Michael Movsisyan is suspended from works for endangering Robert's life, Robert is invited to a charity opera concert in Yerevan with the participation of a young opera singer Sophia Marti and French tenor Jean Milosh who is courting her.

After the concert, Robert, fascinated by Sophia, suggests arranging a photo shooting and writing an article about her. Soon Robert and Sophia's relationship becomes warmer and takes a romantic turn thus triggering Jeans' fierce jealousy. Sophia suggests Robert visit her favorite childhood place – a gorge known as the "Gate to Heaven", which she used to visit with her late father, photographer Edgar Martirosyan. Edgar had been taken prisoner and killed during the war in 1992. Nevertheless, Robert fails to turn up at the agreed time; instead, he takes a flight to Germany. Meanwhile, during his private investigation, Michael discovers the dark side of Robert's life.

Robert is getting ready for his grand exhibition in Berlin. Sophia comes to the opening ceremony and urges Robert to tell the true reasons of his visit to Talish. It is revealed that the photos, presenting the horrors of the Operation "Koltso" in Talish, were taken by Edgar Martirosyan. Furthermore, Edgar and Robert had met in Talish. On the day of Talish's fall, when defending his own house with a gun, Edgar passed all the photos to Robert for him to take them to the Artsakh press. Instead, Robert appropriated them and published them under his name, while Edgar was captured. Years later, when the military operations restart in Talish, Robert decided not only to cover the developments, but also to find Edgar's relatives and extend his apologies to them. However, after meeting Sophia and learning about her origins, he feels unable to confess at the last moment.

Sophia leaves. Shortly afterwards Robert publishes his book Confession at the Gate to Heaven, where he reveals the truth about these events and republishes the photos under Edgar's name. Michael visits Sophia at her parental house in Talish and gives her the book.[https://ncca.am/en/films/281-draxti-darpasy Gate to Heaven at the National Cinema Center of Armenia]

• Richard Sammel (Germany) – as Robert Sternvall
• Tatiana Spivakova (France) – as Sophia Marti
• Sos Janibekyan (Armenia) – as Michael Movsisyan
• Naira Zakaryan (US) –as Tereza Poghosyan
• Leo Pobedonoscevas (Lithuania) – as Jean Milosh
• Benedict Freitag (Germany) – as Eduard Hoffman
• Nina Kronjäger (Germany) – as Laura Sternvall
• Armen Sargsyan (Armenia) –as Edgar Martirosyan
• Roffi Petrossian (Armenia) – as young Robert Sternvall
• Arthur Manukyan (Armenia) – as Father Grigor
• Martin Aloyan (Armenia) – as Norayr Gharabekyan (Conductor)
• Mikayel Hajyan (Armenia) – as Hakob Varanosyan
• Arsen Ghazaryan (Armenia) – as Doctor Arakelyan
• Aram Karakhanyan (Armenia) – as James Colbert
• Elfik Zohrabyan (Armenia)- as German Journalist

• Director - Jivan Avetisyan (Armenia)
• Scriptwriter - Artavazd Yeghiazaryan (Armenia)
• Co – Scriptwriter - Mko Malkhasyan (USA)
• Producers - Masis Baghdasaryan (Armenia), Kestutis Drazdauskas (Lithuania)
• Executive Producer: Adrineh Mirzayan (USA)
• Supervising Producers - Arthur Chalekian (USA), Garo Madenlian (USA)
• Co – Producers - Marco Gilles (Germany), Angelika Schouler (France)
• Associate Producers - Shushanik Mirzakhanyan (Armenia), Vahe Gabrache (Switzerland), Peter Baghdassarian (USA), Robert Hofferer (Austria), Philipp Egger (Switzerland), Orietta Trevisanato (Italy)
• Post - Production Producers - Teodora Andretsudi (Bulgaria), Daniel Delchunkov (Bulgaria), Martin Raiman (Czech Republic), Steve Reverand (Czech Republic)
• Line Producer - Narine Voskanyan (Armenia)
• Director of Photography - Rytis Kurkulis (Lithuania)
• Art Directors - Sevakn Baghdasaryan (Armenia), Jurgita Gerdvilaitė (Lithuania)
• Music - Michele Josia (Italy)
• Music Publisher - Giovanni Marolaa (Italy)
• Editing Director - Eimantas Belickas (Lithuania)

Cineuropa praised the film for the "psychological depth" of its "well-written lead characters" backed by "solid interpretations and a good supporting cast". The review also highlighted the "beautifully crafted cinematography" and composer Michele Josia's "gripping score".{{cite web |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/395208/ |work=Cineuropa |title=Review: Gate to Heaven |last=Abbatescianni |first=Davide |date=19 November 2020}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|gatetoheavenfilm.com}}
• [https://www.mfa.am/en/press-releases/2019/10/18/fm_gate_to_heaven/9907 Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan received the film crew of the "Gate to Heaven"]

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Category:English-language Armenian films

Category:2019 films

Category:Films directed by Jivan Avetisyan

Category:Armenian independent films

Category:2019 independent films

Category:Films about war correspondents

Category:Armenian drama films

Category:2010s historical drama films

Category:English-language historical drama films

Category:Nagorno-Karabakh War films