In this hypnotic odyssey, the ancient monasteries of Armenia’s highlands bear traces of epochs past. Landscapes give way to soundscapes, and the shadowy depths within.

A cinematic journey through the rugged Armenian highlands, Lullaby for the Mountains is a testament to lives lived, lives lost, and a landscape that has stood the test of time. Over 15 vignettes, the film traverses the inner realms of ancient monasteries and mountains, plunging through fire, gravestone and darkness into mysterious depths untold. A silent unnamed man appears and disappears, a lone spectral figure among the rushing waters and bellowing winds. Above ground, animals graze and tree branches bend. Below, frescoes appear in the shadows, their carved faces frozen in stone. In the echoey hollows of this surreal time-space, the line between reality and dreams is far from fixed. A meditation on stillness and mood, the film pursues the limits of our sensory perception, and what may lie beyond the frame.