Camille Cottin leads Tamara Stepanyan’s ‘In the Land of Arto,’ a haunting journey through Armenia’s war‑scarred past, as it opens the 78th Locarno Film Festival.
French actress Camille Cottin, best known for her breakout role in Call My Agent! and her turn in House of Gucci, headlines the new drama In the Land of Arto, which will open the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival on August 6.
Directed by Armenia‑born filmmaker Tamara Stepanyan, this French‑Armenian co‑production asks a chilling question: “Can the dead be saved?”
Cottin plays Céline, a woman who arrives in Armenia with one goal—legally confirm the death of her husband, Arto. But when she learns that Arto fabricated his identity, Céline’s quest spirals into a deeper exploration of a fractured land still haunted by its past.
Along the way, she meets veterans crippled by the 2020 clashes with Azerbaijan and survivors from the war-torn 1990s. Their ghostly testimonies blur the line between the living and the departed, revealing the emotional toll of endless conflict.
Joining Cottin is Oscar‑winning actor Zar Amir Ebrahimi, whose character becomes Céline’s unexpected guide through Armenia’s war‑scarred villages and mountainous landscapes.
In one exclusive clip The Hollywood Reporter, Céline faces bureaucratic hurdles while seeking Arto’s birth certificate—a moment that underscores the complexities of identity in a country where paperwork can mean life or death.
In another scene, Céline and Ebrahimi’s character share a quiet drive, delving into intimate conversations about family, homeland, and the elusive pursuit of happiness.
Stepanyan, whose previous work includes the documentaries Embers and My Armenian Phantoms, co‑wrote the screenplay alongside Jean‑Christophe Ferrari, Jean Breschand, Romy Coccia di Ferro, and Jihane Chouaib.
“I no longer live in Armenia, but it haunts me like an amputated limb, living inside me like a ghost,” Stepanyan says in her director’s statement, encapsulating the film’s restless spirit.
In the Land of Arto promises to be more than a war drama—it’s a haunting meditation on memory, identity, and the unquiet dead. As Locarno audiences gather under the stars on Piazza Grande, they’ll be transported into a world where the past refuses to rest, and every secret uncovered comes with its own spectral price.
Sales on the film are being handled by Be For Films, and it’s poised to become one of this year’s most talked‑about festival openers.
