DOCUMENTARY | 86 MINS | 2024 | USA, FRANCE, IRELAND, JORDAN | DIR: SAREEN HAIRABEDIAN | PG | ARMENIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

MY SWEET LAND is a coming-of-age story set against a multigenerational war in the post-Soviet Caucasus Mountains. It follows an 11-year-old boy named Vrej, growing up in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) who dreams of becoming a dentist in his picture-postcard village with its roaming ducks and golden bees. His sweet land, however, is strewn with mines from previous wars, shaping a country that remains unrecognized to the world. Vrej’s life takes a sudden turn when war erupts, forcing him to flee with his family. He spends his days in exile impatiently waiting for victory, but reality takes a different turn; Armenians lose the war.

Upon returning to his surviving village, he confronts the devastation, new power dynamics, and an education that prepares children for near-future battles. Vrej must learn the rules of war… But can he carry a nation’s hopes on his young shoulders? The film is a testament to the people of Artsakh, where hope and trauma had shaped their resilience across generations.

Includes a virtual Q&A with filmmaker Sareen Hairabedian.