Ararat Anna, Emily, Honda, Julie

Outline Introduction Armenian genocide Atom Egoyan Structure Theme Analysis Characters Parallel—family relation Ani & Raffi Gorky & his mother David & Philip Trauma Personal trauma Historical trauma Retelling history Symbol Conclusion

Introduction Armenian genocide (1915-1917 / WWI)  Armenians became the only major Christian minority and call for independence  Turks killed millions of Armenians  Historical, cultural and political conditions led to this tragedy  Turkey denies the word “genocide” and gives some excuses

Ararat  Tragic historical event, Turkey in denial, people yearning for the truth  An Armenian director makes a film in Toronto to represent the tragic history  From the fictional point of view of a genuine historical figure, Gorky  Film named “Ararat” same as the movie

Atom Egoyan (1960) Atom Egoyan (1960)  Director of Ararat  Armenian-Canadian (Born in Egypt, immigrate to Victoria, British Columbia )  Son of Armenian refugees  Director, writer, editor, and producer Quotation “You can talk about Holocaust denial, but it's really marginal for the most part. What is compelling about the Armenian genocide, is how it has been forgotten.” -- Atom Egoyan

Atom Egoyan Experience “Atom”  Reject his own ethnicity and reject to learn native language until college  Begin to recognize Armenian identity/culture issue 　　 ex. Next of Kin, Calendar, Ararat “Atom”  He was named “Atom” to mark the completion of Egypt's first nuclear reactor  His parents expect him to be like an “atom” to influence people

Structure  Framed as scenes  Film-within-the-film Theme  Historical trauma  Family relation

Characters Ani  An art historian and expert on Gorky  Adviser on Saroyan's fictional film  Raffi’s mother Raffi  Interrogated by Canada custom when he back from Turkey Celia  Raffi’s step-sister / crazy girlfriend  who believes that Ani kills her father

Edward Saroyan  Director of the Ararat in the film-within-the-film  His mother died in genocide Gorky  Armenian refugee  painter / boy in the painting

Ali  Turkish-Canadian actor  Playing an evil Turkish military officer in Saroyan's film. David  Canadian customs officer  Interrogated Raffi  whose son (Philip) is having a homosexual relationship with Ali

Family Relation

Ani & Raffi (1) The poem (foreshadowing) Different interpretation between Ani & Raffi. The girl is crazy/angry. A voyage of seeking passion. Taken out the heart, her mother says “my poor boy, did you hurt yourself.”

Presentation Script (Talk a little about the poem plot.) Ani thinks the girl is crazy, while Raffi thinks she is just saying things angrily. After taking away his mother/Ani heart, he runs away, runs to his girlfriend. Ani goes to the airport to see whether Raffi is okay. “my poor boy…” Foreshadowing not just the relation between A&R but G&his mother.

Ani & Raffi (2) Raffi tries to find his origin (a voyage.) Through parents Making film for both Ani and himself. Origin of what? Painting – sketch – photograph – art work. media Through camera and art work. The representation of the origin. A connection with the past. From history to the present.

Presentation Script tries to find his origin (a spiritual voyage.) First, we know our origin through parents. Raffi from Ani. And he goes to find out more because of Celia. Then he wants to know the “facts,” the truth to him. Goes to Turk..making film. But what origin his looking for Like Raffi’s having the experience of been in the dark room He feels the ghost of his father.

Gorky & his mother Where Ani and Raffi’s relation extend Gorky Ani was projected that Raffi would leave her Projection not necessarily would cause confusion. Gorky Develops sentiments through the process of drawing. A connection with the past. Repetition Pencil -> oil -> erase.

Presentation Script Ani was projected that Raffi would leave her So did Gorky and his mother. Like In Celia’s case, she is kind of confused Self/other, past/present. Gorky A way of missing his mother. Repetition Kind of psychological

David & Philip (1) As a Customs officer. (Value system) Superintend Subjects simply as figures. Pomegranate (film-maker.) Value system Could understand what is tangible, but not feeling.

Presentation Script To the film-maker Pomegranate means sth. Luck/a power to imagine. We have our feelings toward things, which are not objects anymore.

David & Philip (2) The issue brought by “Amen.” Religion, gender, and race. Christianity. Homosexual. Toni David Issue Lover Philip Ali

Presentation Script David asks Toni to say grace, and the problem comes up. What David thinks is like when his being a customs officer. What is okay, what is not. Ali doesn’t believe in God and the relation between Philip and Ali. Until when he interrogates Raffi.

David & Philip (3) Raffi telling David his story. David buys it Influence Raffi Tolerance David Philip Raffi telling David his story. Through Words, tapes, journal. David buys it Let him go, without punishment. Reminds him of Philip. Develops tolerance Cans of film=heroin. Issue between Philip and him. Gender, religion.

Presentation Script Telling a story that plays out in four time periods during (keeps changing his story.) Giving historical effect the customs inquisition during the filmmaking process a year earlier during the actual holocaust in 1915-1918, during Gorky's painting of a pivotal work, around 1940 David buys it The more Raffi tells his stories, the closer he comes to the truth. “I can’t punish him for being honest.” “That’s what he told me. That’s what I need to believe” Raffi. That’s the moment, in the dark room, he feels the ghost of his father.

Presentation Script In here, Raffi remind him of his son. Develop a kind of tolerance. Cans of heroin. Religion, gender, and race. The issue between his family is no more.

The wound only speaks when we look back Trauma The wound only speaks when we look back

Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory Defense mechanisms - The purpose of the Ego Defense Mechanisms is to protect the mind/self/ego from anxiety, social sanctions or to provide a refuge from a situation with which one cannot currently cope.

Traumatized Characters: Celia & Gorky Celia - death of her father  “yours [father] died like a hero, mine died in a stupid accident, according to her [Ani]”  blaming Ani: during the lecture, displacement of her trauma “he needed to destroyed what he made” (1:14:10)

 refusing to believe Ani’s explanation(1:16:10) Ani: “Listen, I didn’t see him fall…”  intention to destroy the painting: Displacement

Gorky - survivor, witness of the war - the image of mother’s hands (18:00/22:40) - being silent, only communicate with the painting - wiping off his mother’s hands with his hands: from brush to hands (16:52/1:25:40) - unfinished hands: opened wound - the usage of oil paint: repetition compulsion

Historical Trauma: Traumatized Armenian People Women being raped - little girl underneath her mother, holding hand in hand German woman (1:23:17)  Disgrace of humanity: the war not only kills people but also kills human dignity

Retelling History “finding a way to articulate history, identifying what it means to you and what it might mean to others”

Film within the film Representation of history/past Gorky in the film Clarence Ussher ‘s journal The brutal scenes Gorky in the film a cruel joke a constructed image Ararat/Van poetic license or distortion Authority the camera and the set

Raffi and the film initiation to find his origin connection with the past  to understand his position/cultural identity

Questioning History Interpretation Twisted, modified Subjective history Ali vs. Raffi and Saroyan Terrorist or freedom fighter (Raffi’s father) ” Every true history is contemporary history” Interpretation The flower on Gorky’s painting A fragrant gift to his absent father Cover the lost bottom

Symbols

Pomegranate—cultural father Cans  emotional items Relate to his mother/Armenia Cans  emotional items  meaningless objects (state apparatus) Mt. Ararat National and religious identity

Unfinished hands — open wound Hands Mother’s touch unity

Conclusion Button Sewing button  symbolizes “wound”  Stitch parts and facts together  Healing wound

Conclusion Did genocide really happen? Armenians Claims:  Ottoman Empire committed genocide to the Armenian people, they called it the Armenian Genocide What about Turkey’s stands? Turkey Claims:  Deny the word “genocide”  During World War I, many Armenians died, but Turks died as well  Inter-ethnic violence and the wider conflict of World War I