Director Egoyan Says Armenian Genocide Irrefutable
Article paru dans "Reuters" le 06/09/2002

By Jeffrey Hodgson

TORONTO -- Canadian director Atom Egoyan said on Friday the Armenian genocide at the center of his latest film is historically "irrefutable", adding he tried to be respectful of opposing views he firmly considers wrong.

Egoyan's hotly controversial "Ararat", which opened the 27th Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday evening, tells the story of Armenian-Canadians in contemporary Toronto who find the painful events of preceding generations still shaping their identity.

Armenians say that some 1.5 million of their people were slaughtered by Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923. Turkey denies the charges of genocide, saying the Armenians were among the numerous victims of a partisan war raging during World War One as the Ottoman Empire collapsed.

"The film takes a position that this (genocide) is an absolutely irrefutable event. I cannot in any way and wouldn't want to create a work which raises issues about whether or not it happened," Egoyan told Reuters in an interview on Friday.

"I cannot extend in this film, or raise the question that there is another side that can be taken seriously. It's just against my upbringing and my responsibility. It would be irresponsible to do that."

THREAT OF BOYCOTT

"Ararat", which made its world premiere in May at Cannes, faced opposition from Turkish groups even before production was completed. Web sites were set up urging Turkish readers to e-mail U.S. distributor Miramax, a unit of Walt Disney Co., threatening a boycott unless changes were made.

There was also speculation Turkey could ban the film outright. "Midnight Express" was banned more than 20 years ago
for what authorities viewed as its anti-Turkish sentiment. But Toronto-based Egoyan, who is of Armenian descent, said that in the case of "Ararat" the worst of the controversy may be past now that the film has been released.

"Now that they've seen the film, they know it's not "Midnight Express"," he said.

"This is not a piece of propaganda. I think that a viewing of the film makes it clear that it's trying to address a very
complicated issue and it's an open door. Whether or not they choose to enter is their decision to make."

"Ararat" takes a cerebral approach to its subject matter, similar to what moviegoers saw in "The Sweet Hereafter", which earned Egoyan an Oscar nomination for best director in 1998.

MOVIE WITHIN A MOVIE

In "Ararat", the director depicts the events of 1915 as a film within the film. The camera pulls away from scenes of violence and bloodshed to reveal movie sets of a historical epic being made in contemporary Toronto.

Doubts about the Armenian view of events are portrayed by a half-Turkish actor, Ali, who is also portraying an Ottoman military leader in the film within the film.

"I created the character of Ali with the specific intention of presenting their point of view. I think everything that Ali says
actually encapsulates the Turkish position. But I do think it's a false position," Egoyan said.

The Turkish government has fought hard to block international attempts, often driven by members of the Armenian diaspora, to press for international recognition of the events as a genocide.

France's parliament backed the Armenian case last year and Turkey temporarily banned French firms from military contracts. The U.S. Congress dropped a similar resolution two years ago after the White House warned it would harm U.S. interests in the Middle East.

Egoyan said he remains optimistic the film will be shown in Turkey. But the film's producer, Robert Lantos, told Reuters
no one has shown in interest in buying the Turkish distribution rights.

"Given the general mood about this film over there it would be surprising if there were a distributor who would have the courage to actually face that in his own country," Lantos said. "But who knows?"