Jordan’s Royal Film Commission (RFC) withdrew the entry of an Armenian-Jordanian filmmaker’s documentary about Artsakh for the Best International Film category of the 97th Academy Awards last week, citing “diplomatic pressure.”
Director Sareen Hairabedian My sweet country (2024), a grim coming-of-age story about an 11-year-old ethnic Armenian boy named Vrej in the aftermath of the Second Artsakh War, was withdrawn in an alleged attempt to fuel growing ties between Jordan and Azerbaijan, as initially reported by Term.
In an interview with HyperallergicHairabedian and producer Azza Hourani said they received an email from the Academy informing them of the withdrawal on October 10 without further explanation, and that they had not been warned in advance by the RFC.
“We contacted the Film Commission for an explanation and they told us that they are in the process of appealing the decision of the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs after complaints and pressure from the Azerbaijani embassy,” Hairabedian explains.
She noted that the RFC was very supportive of the film from the beginning and even provided financial support to the project in 2021 through the Jordan Film Fund initiative.
“We were told that the decision was made based on a government order, and RFC’s hands were tied as there was no room to negotiate or appeal anywhere,” Hairabedian continued.
My sweet country premiered at the Sheffield DocFest in England in mid-June before debuting in its home country at the RFC-produced Amman International Film Festival, where it won three awards in the Arabic feature documentary category. After its screening and subsequent selection as the Jordanian entry for the Best International Film category at the Academy Awards, Azerbaijani media began criticizing the film as defamation and anti-Azerbaijani propaganda.
The filmmakers have stated that Hyperallergic That My sweet country was barred from screening in Jordan after pressure from Azerbaijan after the film festival.
Aykhan Hajizada, spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, said the government agency “welcomes” the decision to suspend the film’s screening in Jordan. press statementclaiming that the documentary “violates the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.”
Hajizada also stated that “there is no pressure here” regarding the RFC’s claim surrounding the withdrawal. “It was the independent decision of the Jordanian Royal Film Commission not to submit the film for the ‘Oscar’ award and to stop screening the film in Jordan,” he concluded.
Neither the RFC nor the Jordanian Foreign Ministry immediately responded to a request for comment.
In an interview with HyperallergicHairabedian pointed out the “many parallels between what happens in the film and what has surrounded the film in terms of its release,” referring to the documentary protagonist Vrej’s move from Artsak (aka Nagorno-Karabakh) in 2020 .
The filmmakers added that a now teenage Vrej and his family have since evacuated Artsakh following the state’s dissolution in 2023 following Azerbaijan’s offensive that displaced more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians.
“In a way, it reminds me of what happens to us at every roadblock as we make this film public and show it,” she continued. “This kind of censorship should not continue to this day, especially when it actually concerns stories about the basic human rights of children who just want to live as children.”
On the other hand, Hairabedian said the Academy has since approved it My sweet country‘s qualifications to compete in the Best Documentary Feature Film category, with an Academy Award-qualified premiere at Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles on November 29.
“We are very grateful to the Academy for allowing the film to be considered,” said Hairabedian. “As documentary filmmakers, the censorship we have faced compels us more than ever to share Vrej’s story, which reflects the experiences of countless children around the world today, who deserve to dream freely without the threat of war and conflict.”
The Academy did not immediately respond Hyperallergic‘s requests for comment.
In New York City, My sweet country is screening in person and online through DOC NYC this coming weekend, Hairabedian and Hourani will be present for a Q+A session after Angelika’s Village East screenings.
