The University of California, Berkeley has canceled a scheduled screening of Sareen Hairabedian’s documentary MY SWEET LAND following direct political pressure from Azerbaijan. The screening was set to take place on April 24 as part of the film’s impact tour, but was pulled by the university’s Human Rights Center.
The decision sparked outrage across social media, with many students of the university urging friends and family to contact university officials directly. The news was later reported by Zartonk Media.
MY SWEET LAND is a coming-of-age story, which follows an 11-year-old boy named Vrej, who grows up in Artsakh and dreams of becoming a dentist.
The cancellation came after direct pressure from the Azerbaijani Consulate in Los Angeles, along with coordinated lobbying efforts by Azerbaijani student groups at UC Berkeley. The film, which was Jordan’s official submission to the 2025 Academy Awards, was also withdrawn from Oscar consideration following similar political pressure.
The Berkeley Armenian Students Association (Cal ASA) released a statement in response to the cancellation, condemning the university’s decision.
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Armenian Film Society is a proud partner on MY SWEET LAND.
Armenian Film Society
