Ararat

Starring: Charles Aznavour, David Alpay Director: Atom Egoyan Original UK Premiere: 2003 Dvd Release: 13th October, 2003 Number Of Discs: 1 Format: PAL, Widescreen, Region 2 Encoding

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Atom Egoyan s 2002 film Ararat is a complex work, with many autobiographical & self-referential elements, about an Armenian-Canadian filmmaker making a film about the Armenian Genocide. Widely viewed as a great film, it has also been attacked as powerful propaganda by those who believe that the Armenian Genocide was overblown by anti- Turkish elements & Armenians seeking sympathy, or that it was necessitated by world politics & the behavior of Turkish Armenians. Despite the accusations of simplistic propagandizing, Egoyans film does not simply depict the holocaust, but rather depicts the problems of making films about such contentious events. The film depicts the efforts of an Armenian director, Edward Saroyan, to make a Hollywood-style film about the holocaust, complete with a moustache-twirling Turkish villain.

You might understand some of the film content more if you are familiar with the story of the Armenian genocide, however I dont think it is essential to appreciate the way this event would affect anyone connected with it, even generations on. A film that has genocide as its core subject matter is going to be powerful - but the beauty of this film is the way that it handles the effects of this tragedy & also ties in unrelated subjects, giving the film more dimensions. There are several sub-plots that revolve around main story which is about the making of a film, & although this makes the story complex, the lives of the main characters are all linked together skillfully. To explain the story the director takes us through history & shows the genocide from the point of view of those that experienced it & also from those who had not even heard of it. It uses a customs officer to handle the theme of crossing borders & cultures, & making of the film within the movie aids the telling of the history. It jumps between themes of family relationships & of identity, & there are some painful & dramatic confrontations, & it is not an easy film to watch sometimes. But it deals very well with some painful real-life subject matter, & is a fantastic addition to any collection of world cinema

Charles Aznavour is a French singer & songwriter. Aznavour was born Chahnour Varinag Aznavourian in Paris, the son of Armenian immigrants. At an early age, his artistic parents introduced him to the world of theatre. One of Frances most popular & enduring singers, he began to perform by age nine & soon took the stage name Aznavour. His big break came when the singer Edith Piaf heard him sing & arranged to take him with her on tour in France & to the United States. Often described as the Frank Sinatra of France, almost all of Aznavours songs deal with love. He has written more than a thousand songs as well as musicals, made more than one hundred records & has played in sixty movies. Aznavour sings in five languages & is the most well-known French singer abroad, performing at Carnegie Hall & other major venues around the world. In 1996 Charles Aznavour was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. A lover of Quebec, he helped the career of Quebecois chansonnier Lynda Lemay in France & has a house in Montreal. Posters Of Shoot The Piano Player

Editors Choice: Ararat, Aznavour And Minnelli, The Blockhouse, Tirez Sur Le Pianiste, Aznavour, Shoot The Piano Player, View DVDology

Atom Egoyan is a critically acclaimed Canadian filmmaker of Armenian descent. His work often explores themes of alienation & isolation, featuring characters whose interactions are mediated through technology, bureaucracy or other power structures. Egoyan was born to Joseph & Shushan Yeghoyan in Cairo, Egypt & was raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. As a teenager, he became interested in reading & writing plays. Significant influences included Samuel Beckett & Harold Pinter. He graduated from the University of Toronto. Egoyan is now based in Toronto, where he lives with his wife, Arsinee Khanjian, an actress who appears in many of Egoyans films & their son, Arshile. Egoyan has directed a dozen full-length films, several television episodes & a few shorter pieces. His early work was based on his own material & he received some notice for the film Exotica, but it was Egoyans first attempt at adapted material that resulted in his best-known work, The Sweet Hereafter.

Editors Choice: Ararat, The Sweet Hereafter, Felicias Journey, Yo Yo Ma, View DVDology

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