The Hollywood Reporter has released an exclusive feature on In the Land of Arto, an Armenian-French co-production directed by Tamara Stepanyan, which is set to open the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival on August 6. The emotionally charged drama stars French actress Camille Cottin (Call My Agent!, House of Gucci) and Iranian-French actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Holy Spider) in a story that weaves together personal grief, historical trauma, and the shadow of war.
Set in contemporary Armenia, the film follows Céline (Cottin), who travels from France to Armenia to officially register the death of her husband, Arto. Upon her arrival, she uncovers a series of shocking revelations—starting with the discovery that Arto had lied about his identity. What begins as a search for answers soon becomes a deeper journey into Armenia’s turbulent past, leading her to encounters with war veterans from the 1990s and individuals scarred by the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“Ghosts of the past start haunting Céline,” notes The Hollywood Reporter, as she meets people weighed down by both personal and collective loss. “A woman chases a ghost, but how should she bury it?” asks the Locarno festival website. “Can the dead be saved?”
The cast also features Shant Hovhannisyan, Hovnatan Avédikian, Alexander Khachatryan, Babken Chobanyan, and acclaimed French actor Denis Lavant. The screenplay was co-written by Stepanyan alongside Jean-Christophe Ferrari, Jean Breschand, Romy Coccia di Ferro, and Jihane Chouaib.
Known for her poetic documentaries such as Embers and My Armenian Phantoms, Stepanyan makes a bold transition into fiction filmmaking with In the Land of Arto. In her director’s statement, she reflects on her enduring bond with Armenia: “I no longer live in Armenia, but it haunts me like an amputated limb—living inside me like a ghost.”
The Hollywood Reporter also released two exclusive clips from the film. In one, Céline struggles to obtain Arto’s birth certificate, facing unexpected bureaucratic and emotional obstacles. In the other, Céline shares a car ride with Amir Ebrahimi’s character as they discuss themes of family, homeland, and the pursuit of happiness.
Handled internationally by Be For Films, In the Land of Arto is already generating buzz ahead of its Locarno premiere, poised to make a powerful statement on identity, memory, and the lingering effects of war on both individuals and nations.
