Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: [to Edward Saroyan] I think the Turks had a real reason to believe that the Armenians were a threat to their security. I mean, their eastern border was threatened by Russia and, I mean, if they believed that the Armenians were gonna betray them, so this was their war. Populations get moved around all the time.
Raffi: But he thinks Turkey was at war with Armenia. Doesn't it bother you that he doesn't get the history?

Edward Saroyan: No, not really.

Raffi: I mean why didn't you explain to him that we were citizens, we were Turkish citizens. We had a right to be protected.

Edward Saroyan: Are you driving him home?

Raffi: Yeah.

Edward Saroyan: Huh. Take this.

[hands him dollar bills]

Edward Saroyan: Buy him a bottle of champagne. Let him think that he has done something special.

Raffi: Something special? I'm sorry, Mr Saroyan, I don't think I understand.

Edward Saroyan: Young man, do you know what still causes so much pain? It's not the people we lost, or the land. It's to know that we could be so hated. Who are these people, who could hate us so much? How can they still deny their hatred? And so hate us... hate us even more?
David: [takes out pomegranate] You can't bring this in.

Edward Saroyan: [endearingly] Please.

David: No fruit or vegetables, that includes pomegranates. it's on your form.

Edward Saroyan: I like to eat the seed of this fruit. One each day. For luck.

David: I'm sorry, that's not allowed.

[Mr Saroyan takes out his penknife and cuts the fruit open]

David: What are you doing?

Edward Saroyan: This way, I don't need to bring it in. I eat it here, at the gate of your country. Look

[takes a bite and nods agreeingly]

Edward Saroyan: So, I bring luck in my stomach. Will you try it?
Raffi: Were you serious about what you told him?

Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: What?

Raffi: That you don't think it happened?

Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: What, the genocide?

Raffi: Yeah.

Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: Are you gonna shoot me or something? Look, I never heard about any of this stuff when I was growing up. You know? I did some research for the part. From what I read there were deportations and lots of people died. Armenians and Turks. It was World War I.

Raffi: But Turkey wasn't at war with the Armenians. I mean, just like Germany wasn't at war with the Jews. They were citizens. They were expecting to be protected. That scene you just shot was based on an eyewitness account. Your character Jevdet Bey, the only reason they put him in Van was to carry out the complete extermination of the Armenian population in Van. There were telegrams, there were communicators...

Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: Look I'm not saying that something didn't happen.

Raffi: Something...

Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: Look, I was born here. So were you right?

Raffi: Yeah.

Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: This is a new country. So let's just drop the fucking history and get on with it. Noone's gonna wreck your home. Noone's gonna destroy you family. Hmm? So let's go inside and uncork this thing and celebrate. Hmm?

Raffi: Do you know what Adolf Hitler told his military commanders to convince them that his plan would work? "Who remembers the extermination of the Armenians?"

Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: And nobody did. Nobody does.
Ani: Did you give her my book?

Raffi: This is too weird for me.

Ani: What is weird Raffi?

[pause]

Ani: Smoking pot, or sleeping with you step-sister?
Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: [as Jevdet Bey] We've invested you Greeks and Armenians with power and freedom.

[pounds desk]

Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: You should be *thankful*!
David: There's no way of confirming that a single word that you've told me is true.
Ani: Your father died for something he believed in.

Raffi: I wish I had some idea of what that was.
Clarence Ussher: [Ani has interrupted his performance] What is this? God-damnit! We're surrounded by Turks. We've run out of supplies, most of us will die. The crowd needs a miracle, this child is bleeding to death. If I can save his life, it may give us the spirit to continue. This is his brother... his pregnant sister was raped in front of his eyes, before her stomach was slashed open, to stab her unborn child. His father's eyes were gouged out of his head and stuffed into his mouth. And his mother's breasts were ripped off. She was left to bleed to death. Who the *fuck* are you?
Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey: [as Jevdet Bey, holds up photo] This your mother? She's given you this photograph so that you may remember her. Look at it now. This is the face of a woman who's raised you to feel superior to us. She's taught you that Turks are vengeful and ignorant. That we're blood-thirsty. Now I am going to teach you something. For what is about to happen to you people is your own fault. As much as you talk about your prophet, Jesus Christ, in the depths of your souls you believe in *nothing*, but commerce and money! My streets are overrun with your markets and moneylenders. Your greed has let us to corruption and ruin. Now you yourselves will be ruined.
Rouben: Every scene in this film is based on this document.
Raffi: Everything I've told you is exactly what happened.

Ararat Quotes

Extended Reading

Ararat short comments

Price 2022-03-25 09:01:23

I even forgot when I watched Genocide Studies
Keanu 2022-03-27 09:01:21

Looking at Igoyan's films, the logic of thinking must be super strong. It is not so much that he is a cow director, it is not so much an editing master. Through editing and splicing, several main lines go hand in hand, euphemistically called "exquisite structure". The director's stinginess is evident: all female pigs' feet use their own wives. This film borrows a lot of footage from "Monthly Calendar", one is teased into two, which is too awesome.