Ararat director Egoyan discusses Armenian heritage at Toronto film fest
Article paru le 07/09/2002

By ANGELA PACIENZA

TORONTO (CP) - Atom Egoyan's latest project, a film about the mass killing of Armenians during the First World War, should resonate well with Canadians given the country's rich history of immigration, says the lead actress of the film.

"Every day we're in a situation where we have to understand the fabric of the society," Arsinee Khanjian, Egoyan's wife, told a news conference Friday at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival. "This is an actively welcoming country for all kinds of immigrants, refugees from around the world. It is an absolute necessity to understand who we are and who the other is and what their history is."

Ararat tells of the persecution of Armenians by Turks through a tapestry of stories that take place during the filming of a
film. A young man, Raffi (played by newcomer David Alpay), is stopped at the Toronto airport by a customs officer (Christopher Plummer) who questions the contents of sealed film canisters. As Raffi tries to explain his situation, the story of the killings unfolds.

Egoyan, a Canadian of Armenian descent who has been dealing with his history since he was a teenager, said he was glad to finally screen Ararat in Toronto, the city in which the film is set.

"People were able to see it more than a film about these ancient grievances," he said.

"It's about how history persists when things are not resolved. It's really about how we in this culture have to not only tell these stories but be able to respond and listen, about this incredible responsibility that we're all placed with as members of this society to actually engage ourselves with the experiences of the people that make up this multicultural fabric that we live in."

The film also stars Canadians Elias Koteas, Bruce Greenwood, Marie-Josee Croze, and legendary French actor Charles Aznavour, best known for his lead role in Shoot The Piano Player.

The film ignited a nearly century-old debate when it started filming last year because Turkey disputes the central premise of Ararat - that the crumbling Ottoman Empire was responsible for the killing of 1.3 million Armenians in 1915.

While the Turkish government acknowledges that many Armenians died, it says the number killed was not as high as the Armenians say and that many died from disease, illness, famine and exposure.

There have been reports that distributors were asked to drop the film, and some people have threatened to mount demonstrations at theatres when the film is released in November.

However, there were no protesters in evidence when the film debuted at Cannes, or at the Toronto gala Thursday night.

The film's producer, Robert Lantos, said he isn't concerned about possible boycotts.

He said all those involved in the production have gotten past the controversy surrounding the making of the film and are enjoying the final product.

"The purpose of this film is to shed light on a very dark chapter in the history of what extraordinary cruelty man can do to man," he said.

Lantos said the distribution of the film would proceed as it would for any film. Alliance Atlantic will distribute it in Canada and Disney's Miramax Films will for the U.S.

"There will be those that might disagree with what it has to say. That is not going to be a hurdle for the film's distribution."