Ararat Page #3

- Just the way you use history

like a weapon.

I mean, talking about

Gorky's mother

as a way of attacking

Celia's issues.

- Celia's issues.

Are you out of your mind?

It was a prepared lecture.

Raffi, she wants to believe

that I murdered her father's,

that I pushed him off a cliff.

Would I do that?

Would you like to believe

that your mother is a killer?

Is that remotely possible

to you?

- Her new theory

is that you made him jump.

- How?

- She thinks

the whole last chapter

of the book is a...

a way of admitting guilt.

- Oh, I see.

The idea being since Gorky

committed suicide,

her father's must have as well.

- It's easy to make fun of her.

- Not as easy as you think.

Raffi,

she wants her father's' death to

be more meaningful that it was.

It gives her a cause.

- We all know how dangerous

those can be.

- She has no right

to compare it to a man.

Your father died

for something he believed in.

- L just wish I had some idea

of what that was.

- This film was shot in Toronto

almost a year ago.

- Yeah, that's right.

- And now you're coming back

from Turkey

with these cans of footage?

Well, this tells me

you worked on this film

as a production assistant

and driver.

This is a letter

of recommendation

for future employment.

It doesn't explain

why you're returning

from Turkey months later.

- There was some stuff

they wanted to add in Turkey.

They added a character.

They?

- Well, the director.

And the writer. And my mom.

- Your mom?

- Yeah.

She's an art-history professor.

She was a consultant

on the film.

She, uh, she got me the job.

- So who's this new character?

- Arshile Gorky. The painter.

- Turkish painter.

- Armenian.

- Now why did you

go to Turkey

to shoot an Armenian painter?

- Well, that's where he's from.

He was born there.

Armenia was historically part

of Eastern Turkey. Anatolia.

- And they sent you alone?

Without a crew?

- Well, they wouldn't have gotten

permission to send a crew there.

- Why not?

- Well, it's not that easy

to shoot a story about

the Armenian genocide in Turkey.

It's politically... sensitive.

- In what way?

- Because the Turkish authorities

don't want to admit it happened.

- Oh. Why not?

- Well, you'd have to ask them.

- So, uh,

what's this story about?

- It's very good.

Yourfather's very good.

- Effendi.

- Yes.

- Can we discuss a payment?

- Do you know what I think of

as I look at these faces?

- No, effendi.

- I think of what's in their mind

as they stare in your camera.

Their desperate need

to be remembered.

For what, we may ask.

Payment is a gesture

of thanks, no?

- Yes, effendi.

- So let us examine

what it is that you have to be

thankful for.

A man of my position has chosen

you to take his portrait.

And this has

brought you prestige?

Honour?

How will you give thanks?

You're welcome.

Would you like

to thank me as well?

- Stefan!

- Anothertime, another means.

Very different ways to...

express gratitude.

- But deliver us from evil.

[Armenian]

Forthine is the kingdom.

And the power

and the glory

[both:
Armenian]

[Both]:
Amen.

[All]:
Amen.

- We have to go.

- God bless you.

Do you remember when we took this

photo to send to yourfather?

Yes.

If the Turks capture you,

you will never give up yourfaith.

You will neverforget your mothertongue.

If you survive...

it will be to tell this story.

Of what has happened here.

Of what will happen...

We will win, Mother.

Take this picture with you.

You will not forget me.

We will win.

- Now I want you to remember

that this has to be nailed

into the ball of the heel.

Not the sole,

'cause there is no bone

in the sole. It'II fall off.

- Ahhh! Ah! Ah!

Ah! Ah! Ah! Ahhh!

- An appeal for Christian help.

Did your missionary

feel so persecuted?

We've invested you Greeks

and Armenians

with power and freedom.

You should be

thankful!!

[Faraway screaming]

This your mother?

- Well, she's given you

this photograph

so that you may remember her.

Look at it now.

This is a face of a woman

who has raised you

to feel superiorto us.

She's taught you that Turks

are vengeful and ignorant.

That we're bloodthirsty.

Now l'm going to teach you

something.

What is about to happen to

your people is your own fault.

For 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 overrun with

your markets and moneylenders.

Your greed has led us

to corruption and ruin.

Now you yourselves

will be ruined.

Get this back

to your American missionary.

Pick it up!!

You take that back

to your American missionary.

He must sign it. Otherwise,

he must accept 50 of my soldiers

in the mission compound.

You understand?

- You said that this character

gave something to the boy

to take back to the missionary

for him to sign.

- It was a document

stating that Ussher

refused Turkish protection.

- But that's obvious. He's was

helping protecting Armenians.

- Exactly.

Actually, Ussher and Jevdet Bey

had met a few times before.

He tried to stop him

from carrying out his plans.

- What plans?

- For genocide.

Over a million people

were killed.

An ancient civilization

living on ancestral lands.

It was systematic

and fully planned.

The entire Armenian population

of Eastern Turkey

was eliminated.

- Now I need permission to put

in your mission compound.

- Why?

- Well, to protect you,

of course.

- We're underthe protection

of the United States of America.

- The United States of America.

They're so far away.

- It won't be safe to send

so many Turkish soldiers

into the heart

of the Armenian quarter.

It's bound to cause trouble.

What danger are you trying

to protect us from?

- Lf you have a problem

with taking my soldiers,

you must sign this statement

that you refuse the protection

of the Turkish government.

[Raffi]:
Lf Ussher

signed the document,

it would be like giving

the Turks permission

to slaughter the Americans

in the compound.

The same way

that they were massacring

the Armenians outside.

- You've lost me.

- Well, it was the same document

that he'd presented to the boy.

If the United States government

ever made an inquiry

into the incident,

that statement,

the document the Turks

wanted Ussherto sign,

would affirm that the Americans

were offered protection

but that they refused.

- And if he let them in?

- Well, the Turks would use it

as a strategic point.

With that many soldiers and

artillery based in the mission,

they'd have a foothold

in the Armenian quarter.

- A Trojan horse.

- Right.

- So what did he do?

- Our premises are part of

the United States of America.

They're extraterritorial

by treaty right.

Completely neutral.

And we will preserve

this neutrality to the last.

[Armenian]

Stop! Levon stop!

What are you doing, brother?

Levon, you'II be killed.

Come back, Levon!

- They were heroes.

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