Ararat is a 2002 Franco-Canadian drama film directed, written, and co-produced by Atom Egoyan based loosely on the Siege of Van during the Armenian Genocide, an event that is disputed by the government of Turkey. In addition to exploring the human impact of that specific historical event, the film also examines the nature of truth and its representation through art. Ararat stars Charles Aznavour, Christopher Plummer, and David Alpay. Ararat depicts the efforts of an Armenian director, Edward Saroyan, to make a Hollywood-style film about the Armenian genocide, from the fictionalised point of... view of a genuine historical figure, Arshile Gorky. The name of Aznavour's character is a modified version of his character's real name in the classic French film Shoot the Piano Player. As filming progresses, various characters involved with it encounter the ethical problems that arise when adaptating contentious subjects into movies; for example, Ali is a Turkish-Canadian actor who becomes uncomfortable with playing the role of an evil Turkish military officer. There are also a number of secondary plots that relate to the genocide.
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| Release date: | November 12, 2002 |
| Directed by: | Atom Egoyan |
| Rated: |  |
| Runtime: | 115 Minutes |
| Producer: | Atom Egoyan, Robert Lantos |
| Editor: | Susan Shipton |
| Music by: | Mychael Danna |
| Cinematography: | Paul Sarossy |
| Screenplay by: | Atom Egoyan |