My Sweet Land
Assured debut feature!
-- IDA Documentary Magazine
My Sweet Land
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 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.
**** [Four stars]! -Eye for Film
"My Sweet Land is a somber warning call that its events are not contained in one place or time, they are the story of humanity, of its constant struggle, and its hope that maybe one day, we may learn from our own mistakes." -Film Inquiry
Shortlisted, Best Feature Documentary, International Documentary Association (IDA) Documentary Awards
Winner, Jury Award for Best Arab Documentary, Amman International Film Festival
Winner, Audience Award, Amman International Film Festival
Winner, FIPRESCI International Critics Award, Amman International Film Festival
Nominee, International First Feature Competition, Sheffield DocFest
Nominee, U.S. Competition, DOC NYC
**** [Four stars]! -Eye for Film
"My Sweet Land is a somber warning call that its events are not contained in one place or time, they are the story of humanity, of its constant struggle, and its hope that maybe one day, we may learn from our own mistakes." -Film Inquiry
Shortlisted, Best Feature Documentary, International Documentary Association (IDA) Documentary Awards
Winner, Jury Award for Best Arab Documentary, Amman International Film Festival
Winner, Audience Award, Amman International Film Festival
Winner, FIPRESCI International Critics Award, Amman International Film Festival
Nominee, International First Feature Competition, Sheffield DocFest
Nominee, U.S. Competition, DOC NYC
Genre
Documentary,
Politics & World Affairs,
Childhood,
Women and Film
Web Site
Runtime
86
Language
Armenian
Director
Sareen Hairabedian
Producer
Azza Hourani (Producer),
Julie Paratian (Co-producer),
David Rane (Co-producer),
Hallee Adelman (Executive Producer),
Beth Levison (Executive Producer),
Carrie Lozano (Executive Producer),
Rintu Thomas (Executive Producer),
Sushmit Ghosh (Executive Producer)
Writer(s)
Sareen Hairabedian
Cast
Vrej Khatchatryan
Awards:
Winner, FIPRESCI ~ Arab Feature Documentary, Amman International Film Festival
Winner, Jury Award ~ Arab Feature Documentary, Amman International Film Festival
Played at
Glendale 11.29.24 - 12.05.24
My Sweet Land Get Tickets
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