Search - Ararat

Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan explores his Armenian heritage, and how the country's tragic history has touched several generations of the nation's expatriates, in this ambitious drama. Edward Saroyan (Charles Aznavour), a veteran filmmaker of Armenian descent, is in Toronto shooting a film about the Siege of Van, in which invading Ottoman armies forced the evacuation of Armenian communities in 1915, leading to the genocide of over a million Armenian people at the hands of Turkish troops. Twenty-one-year-old Raffi (David Alpay) has been sent to Turkey to shoot background footage for the film; Raffi's mother Ani (Arsinee Khanjian), an author and historian, is also involved in the project as a consultant. Lately Raffi and Ani have been at odds; Raffi has been dating Celia (Marie-Josee Croze), Ani's stepdaughter, who is convinced that Ani is somehow responsible for the death of her father. Ani's first husband, who was Raffi's father, is also dead, after taking part in an assassination attempt on a Turkish political leader. As Raffi attempts to re-enter Canada with cans of exposed film, he's detained by David (Christopher Plummer), a suspicious customs official who has his own tenuous link to Saroyan's film -- David is struggling to come to terms with the gay lifestyle of his son Philip (Brent Carver), whose lover Ali (Elias Koteas) is playing the villain in the picture. Ararat also features Eric Bogosian and Bruce Greenwood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

David Alpay - Raffi
Charles Aznavour - Edward Saroyan
Eric Bogosian - Rouben
Brent Carver - Philip
Marie-Josée Croze - Celia

2002	Best Orignal Score (winner)	Genie Awards	Mychael Danna
2002	Best Actor (nominee)	Genie Awards	Christopher Plummer
2002	Best Actor (nominee)	Genie Awards	David Alpay
2002	Best Actress (winner)	Genie Awards	Arsinée Khanjian
2002	Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (winner)	Genie Awards	Elias Koteas
2002	Best Art Direction/Production Design (nominee)	Genie Awards	Phillip Barker
2002	Best Costume Design (winner)	Genie Awards	Beth Pasternak
2002	Best Original Screenplay (nominee)	Genie Awards	Atom Egoyan

Atom Egoyan's complex drama comes to DVD from Miramax with a surprising two-disc set. On the first disc, the 1.78:1 anamorphic image is sporadically soft, but never to a distraction. For the most part, the picture is sharp and detailed, with excellent use of color; skin tones are equally fine and precise. The sound is also better than expected. Both 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS tracks are included, and, for a smaller dramatic film, there is an exceptionally good sound field. Surrounds are used occasionally to the right effect, while the dialogue is clear throughout. The sole supplement on the first disc is a scene-specific commentary track from Egoyan. His extraordinarily well-spoken comments center on symbolism and objects, but, for many, this track may prove to be too intellectual, as it's far from entertaining, although is exceedingly factual. The second disc continues the story behind the story, with a number of different features, including a handful of deleted scenes with optional director commentary, a very brief interview with co-star Arsinée Khanjian about being involved in this personal production (she is the wife of the director) and Egoyan's BBC-commissioned short film Portrait of Arshile. Of the greatest importance may be a 29-minute documentary, "The Making Of Ararat," where, along with behind-the-scenes footage and location shooting, the crew discusses the importance of other members. Fortunately, it doesn't play as studio fluff and offers a real measure of insight about this production. In addition, there are relatively brief interviews with Egoyan, stars David Alpay, Bruce Greenwood, Eric Bogosian, Christopher Plummer, Charles Aznavour, Marie-Josée Croze, and producer Robert Lantos, although some comments seem overly repetitive. Finally, along with the theatrical trailer and a text section on the history of the Armenian genocide, there is a nine-minute segment called "Raffi's Video Footage" shot by Hrair Hawk Khatcherian with his commentary on gathering footage around Mount Ararat. Egoyan's films are so personal and so intimate that it's a wonder they don't simply slip through the cracks. With great satisfaction, DVDs such as this will preserve his particular vision. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide

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