Lowell ARF to celebrate 130 years with screening of “My Sweet Land”
The Lowell ARF, one of the earliest ARF chapters in North America, will celebrate its 130th anniversary on December 13 with the screening of the award-winning film, “My Sweet Land,” a coming-of-age story set against a multigenerational war in the post-Soviet Caucasus region of Artsakh.
The screening will be preceded by a brief program highlighting the work of the Merrimack Valley Armenian National Committee and followed by a reception. The anniversary event will take place at the Holy Archangels Armenian Church, St. Michael and St. Gabriel, on 1280 Boston Road, Haverhill, Mass. The film will start promptly at 7:00 p.m.
Ticket donations are $25 for adults, $15 for students. For reservations, please contact either Armen at (978) 265-9479 or armenjeknavorian@gmail.com, or Ara at (617) 803-2612 or ara.a.jeknavorian@gmail.com.
Produced by documentary filmmaker Sareen Hairabedian, “My Sweet Land” has been shown at many international film festivals and earned recognition from the International Documentary Association for Best Documentary Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Original Music Score.
The film follows 11-year-old Vrej, growing up in Artsakh, who dreams of becoming a dentist in his picture-postcard village, where ducks roam freely and bees buzz over golden fields. But his sweet land is strewn with mines from previous wars, shaping a country that remains unrecognized by 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 bear the hopes of a nation on his young shoulders?
“My Sweet Land” is a testament to the people of Artsakh, where hope and trauma have shaped their resilience across generations.
