‘In the Land of Arto’ explores legacy of Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Belmont World Film will mark Armenian Heritage Month with the East Coast premiere of the Armenian drama “In the Land of Arto” on Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. at the West Newton Cinema.

The screening of the 2025 French-Armenian feature, the first fiction film by director Tamara Stepanyan, will be followed by a discussion led by Diana Hayrapetyan, professor of Armenian at Harvard University and a Ph.D. candidate at Clark University’s Strassler Center for Holocaust Studies. The event is part of Belmont World Film’s 24th International Film Series, “Thicker Than Water,” which runs Mondays at 7 p.m. through May 18 at the historic Newton movie house.

Set in Armenia and the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, the film explores the legacy of decades of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the displacement of ethnic Armenians in 2023 and Azerbaijanis in the 1990s. Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent,” “House of Gucci”) stars as Céline, a French woman who travels to Armenia to legalize her husband Arto’s death, only to discover he lied about his military service, fought in the war under a stolen identity and is remembered by his former comrades as a deserter.

Organizers say the film reflects this year’s series theme by probing how family ties and hidden histories can both bind and betray. “Thicker Than Water” features films from around the world that examine the obligations people feel toward relatives and homelands amid political upheaval, migration and war.

Tickets for “In the Land of Arto” and other films in the series are available in advance online, with remaining seats sold at the door at the West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington St.

Individual tickets are $14 in advance with no fees and $16 at the door. “Passports,” which can be shared with one other person, provide admission to eight films for $96, and memberships that include tickets or passports plus benefits such as free ticket exchanges are also available. Tickets and passes are half-price for EBT, WIC and ConnectorCare cardholders. For tickets or more information, visit belmontworldfilm.org or call 617-484-3980.