1915

1

Ladies and gentlemen, we

are gathered here to stage a play.

This will not be

an ordinary performance.

It is not fiction.

Our story actually happened,

a long time ago.

Tonight, on this stage...

we will tell the forgotten

story of 1915.

100 years ago,

in these very hours...

a great crime was commenced.

An entire people

vanished from the face of the earth.

Their ancient homeland

was erased.

Their churches dismantled.

Even the memory of their existence wiped

clean, and the crime covered up, forever.

We want justice!

We want justice! We want justice!

The sound

of Armenians, millions of them...

marching in cities

all across the world...

to demand a justice for a crime

that took place a century ago.

A million

and a half people slaughtered...

in the scorching deserts!

And the perpetrators

never punished!

Turkey cannot escape

the past any more!

Denial ends today! Denial ends

today! Denial ends today!

Do you feel this old theater

waking up around us?

Does that make you nervous?

It only pleases me.

The truth is that we're not really staging

a play here, we're staging a funeral...

a service for the unrecognized

ghosts of an entire nation.

Crying to be heard.

Begging to be seen.

Tonight on this stage we will create the

bridge between the present and the past.

Time itself will tear open.

And all the ghosts that still

live among us...

will finally go back to 1915.

Sir, you have to leave.

Leave. You get out!

You get out! Get out!

Restrain your woman, soldier!

No! No! No!

Ani!

No! I won't let him go!

You bastard!

May I remind you, soldier,

that the Empire is at war!

But it's not our war.

It's everybody's war now.

The entire world is wearing uniforms.

Isn't that right, soldier?

I said, "Isn't that right,

soldier?"

The colonel is right mother.

The Armenians...

The Armenians...

God damn it!

Sorry, everyone.

Angela, are you okay?

She's bleeding, Simon.

The blood is real.

Of course the blood is real,

James. You did well.

Now, Tony...

I know, I know, I know, I was

supposed to cry.

I was... I was thinking of

Grandma, just like you said.

Her smile.

Her smile?

When you think of Grandma,

remember her smile.

Her smile.

Gabriel, don't look so scared.

You are scared, which is why you

have to hide it, to appear brave.

Yes, sir.

Hey, can we do something about

this hat? It's just way too big.

Yeah, honestly, Simon... must we wear

these awful costumes for rehearsal?

But they're not costumes!

These clothes were worn by the very

Armenians slaughtered in 1915.

They died in these clothes.

Tonight, the fate of the dead

will be in your hands.

Their terror will pound

in your hearts.

At 5:
00 this evening,

you will no longer be actors.

You will bring those forgotten

souls back to life...

or you will die with them.

You've always liked my scars.

My darling wife... they are the

most beautiful parts of you.

Nobody else knows

about the scars.

I know.

Only you care about the scars.

Darling.

Yes, my love?

When will it be over?

Soon, my love, very soon.

I can come up the stairs...

I can be myself again?

I hate the stairs so much.

I know... I know it's hard.

But it's your mind connecting

these two worlds.

You are the secret of this play.

Everything ends tonight?

Everything. Tonight.

And tomorrow?

Tomorrow... we will be free.

God, I hate theater.

What did I do? What did I do to

deserve this?

It must have been

something really bad.

Oh, come on.

You're enjoying this.

Should've listened to your

agent, James.

This is where movie stars

come to die.

What, you guys don't do

vocal stretches?

Oh, I just did them earlier.

Hey, listen, Tony, I've got

a question for you.

Yeah, sure.

What's going on with Angela?

She was so warm and friendly

when we started.

You really don't know?

Get ready for rehearsal.

We're running out of time!

Running out of time.

Getting nervous?

You must be a little worried

about Angela.

What? Come on, don't look at me

like that. You know what I mean.

This role you've written

for her, I mean, it's so cruel.

It's horrifying.

Yeah, this is the kind

of decision people had to make.

Your grandmother,

she did the same thing.

You're alive because she

ran off with a Turk!

What are you talking about?

I get that.

But Angela, maybe she

deserves a happier ending.

There was no

happy ending in 1915.

Even our survival was tragic.

But our play can have

a happy ending.

I'm just saying that maybe if you would

consider just rehearsing it once...

You can't change history to make it

more comfortable for you. You can't.

Face the past, Tony.

Face the past.

Face the past.

Are you in there?

I was thinking, I know that Simon doesn't

want us to rehearse the ending...

but maybe you and I could

do a walk through of it.

I won't tell if you won't.

Angela, say something.

You know we're supposed

to run off together.

By the end of the summer...

there will be no Armenians

left on the face of the earth.

By the end of the summer...

there will be no Armenians left

on the face of the earth.

You are all being marched

to your deaths.

I want you to leave with me.

I want to escape together.

I want to escape to...

together... together.

I want to make you an offer

you can't refuse.

I want you to escape with me.

I want... I want...

Hey, Tony.

Jesus!

James.

Are those my lines?

Yes... uh...

it's... something

I like to do.

Learn all the lines,

every single character.

I'm impressed.

The Turkish Colonel,

what a gig.

I mean, it's...

it's the role of a lifetime.

At first, I wanted to

play the role, but Simon

thought it would be

too dangerous for me.

What are you saying, Tony?

This isn't an ordinary

performance, James.

Like Simon said, we're dealing

with a real tragedy here...

with actual memories.

You know, the ghosts of 1915,

they're here today.

They're all around us.

Such a lovely song.

I think of Armen

every time I sing it.

Before we were married, he would

whistle it outside my window.

It was our little secret.

That sweater is a little small

for Garo, don't you think?

It's not for Garo.

Oh, my dear girl.

I wish Armen could be here.

Well, he'll come back.

The war can't last forever.

Did you hear something?

What is it, Mo...

What is the meaning of this?

Look! On the door!

It's that awful Colonel.

What does it say, Ani?

It says...

"An order of temporary

relocation."

But that can't be.

That can't be right.

Lights! Lights, please!

You gave me the chills. I don't

know how you do it, Angela.

Don't touch her!

Not again.

Simon!

How was my voice?

Angela, come to me.

Angela? Angela, where are you?

Angela. Come to me, Angela.

Angela, I'm right up the stairs.

My darling.

Did I do it right?

Was I good?

You were perfect.

Put some in your boots,

it'll activate your senses...

give you that desert feeling.

Come on, live a little.

You know, I think

I'm just gonna pretend.

Okay.

Anyway, I'm going to head

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