I do not usually go out of my way to watch Christmas rom-coms. I know the genre, but I have never actually made it through one. But when I heard about ‘A Winter’s Song,’ I felt proud that a friend from back in Toronto was among the producers. She invited us to the Yerevan premiere, and that alone was reason enough to go. It is not every day that someone you know helps bring Armenia onto the big screen.
And from the start, it is clear to me who the film is made for: people seeing Armenia for the first time and those who already enjoy this kind of warm, somewhat predictable holiday story. And in that sense, it works. Armenia looks stunning; Yerevan glows, somehow free of the traffic we complain about every day, and the winter scenes feel beautiful and inviting rather than harsh and cold. The film shows the country through a language people everywhere recognize, giving Armenia a spot on a map it almost never appears on.
What stood out most to me was how naturally the film treats the diaspora-homeland connection. It does not turn it into a lesson or a sermon. Instead, it shows diasporans who have already relocated to Armenia from countries such as Great Britain and Canada and have built lives here. Their presence is casual. And importantly, their move is not framed as a sacrifice. That is a rare and refreshing shift.
So much of our communal discourse describes repatriation in terms of giving something up, carrying a burden or fulfilling an obligation. Here, the act of choosing Armenia is presented as something joyful and organic, part of a natural rhythm rather than a heroic gesture.
That tone carries into the way the film handles belonging more broadly. Armenia is presented as a place where diasporans can arrive and recognize pieces of themselves without needing to justify it; a place where curiosity can deepen into connection; and a place that is not romanticized, but lived in.
I may be wrong, but watching the film, I had the sense that ‘A Winter’s Song’ is not primarily speaking to Armenians who already know the country intimately, who live here or who carry long (and often complicated) relationships with it. It seems more attuned to people encountering Armenia for the first time, and to diasporans who still experience it from a distance. That is not a criticism; if anything, this feels intentional. As an entry point, the film does not try to hold the full weight of Armenian history or identity. Instead, it opens a door and, sometimes, a warm invitation is more effective than a lengthy explanation.
Another element I appreciated was the presence of Western Armenian. It appears naturally, without being highlighted or treated as symbolic. That simple choice matters. Western Armenian is often erased on screen, even when the story involves characters who would, in reality, speak it. Including it here acknowledges a richness that extends far beyond Armenia’s borders and quietly ties global Armenian communities back into the narrative.
In a recent interview, Krista Marina said something that stayed with me: that people often need to understand a people’s joy before they can understand its pain. That line feels central to what this film is trying to do. Armenia is so often introduced to the world through its hardships. But joy, humor, music, food and the small, warm gestures of daily life are also part of our story. This film leans into that.
It shows Armenia as a place of color and generosity, not only resilience.
Stepping back, what ‘A Winter’s Song’ offers is not a sweeping statement about identity or history. It does, however, offer an entry point. It invites people who know nothing about Armenia to experience it in a familiar storytelling format. It gives diasporans a gentle reflection of themselves and their families. And it positions Armenia as a place of possibility, color and welcome.
So no, this film will not turn me into someone who queues up holiday rom-coms every December. But that is beside the point. What matters is that the film exists, that it reaches far beyond usual circles, and that it presents Armenia with warmth and care. It shows a country that is lived in, not imagined; a place where choosing to be here is not portrayed as a sacrifice, but simply as a life.
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