Ararat

1. Ararat Anna, Emily, Honda, Julie

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Atom Egoyan • Experience  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

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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. Family Relation

12. 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.”

13. 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 ofthe origin. • A connection with the past. • From history to the present.

14. Gorky & his mother • Where Ani and Raffi’s relation extend • 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.

15. 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.

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

17. Raffi Influence David Tolerance Philip David & Philip (3) • 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.

18. Trauma The wound only speaks when we look back

19. 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.

20. 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)

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

22. 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

23. 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

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

25. Film within the film • Representation of history/past • 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

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

27. Questioning History • 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

28. Symbols

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

30. Unfinished hands — open wound • Hands • Mother’s touch • unity

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

32. 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