Ararat

Starring:Christopher Plummer, Elias Koteas
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

This remarkable, intricate movie from Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter) centers around the making of a film about the genocide of Armenians in Turkey in 1915--but this is not a dry, didactic historical re-enactment. Ararat unspools multiple storylines around Ani (Arsinee Khanjian), an art historian hired as a consultant on the film; her son Raffi (David Alpay); his stepsister, with whom Raffi is in love even though she believes that his mother is responsible for her father's suicide; an actor (Elias Koteas) hired to play the Turkish officer who organized the genocide; and a customs officer (Christopher Plummer), who holds Raffi for questioning under suspicion of smuggling heroin. All these characters, combined with the movie within the movie, intertwine in a complex yet powerfully emotional examination of memory (both cultural and personal), loyalty (to one's family, to one's heritage), creativity, and the subjectivity of truth. --Bret Fetzer

Description

From the Academy Award(R)-nominated director Atom Egoyan (Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, THE SWEET HEREAFTER, 1997; EXOTICA, FELICIA'S JOURNEY), and featuring an all-star cast, ARARAT is the acclaimed cinematic masterpiece about a tragic historical event, a country in denial, and a people yearning for the truth. For the estranged members of a contemporary family, the tangled relationships of their present are only complicated by their catastrophic past. And what begins as a search for clues becomes a determined quest for answers across a vast and ancient terrain of deception, denial, fact, and fears. This stunning and passionate motion picture explores the pursuit of identity through the intimate moments shared by lovers, families, enemies, and strangers.

Customer Reviews:

Should be required viewing!.......2007-06-27

This wonderful, but painful movie should be a "most see" by people of all ages, 12 and older. It is the simple, straightforward and clear telling of the Armenian genocide by the Turks between 1914-1920. I was quite ignorant of the incident until I was in my 40's, because NO one talks about it. The movie is well thought out and I promise you will not get bored.

Gripping, Modernized Re-telling of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.......2007-01-16

I agree with a previous reviewer that the movie takes a while to get to the point, but once it does, it shows just enough abuses for the viewer to visualize for himself the atrocities imposed upon the innocent Armenians. A powerful scene has a Turkish actor portraying a captor, and the actor tells the director he doesn't believe the massacres occurred at all--not unlike the beliefs of most Turkish-educated people.

This is no masterpiece, but implores viewers to learn more about this dark period of history which the Turkish government continually and stubbornly refuses to acknowledge.

Really left an impact.......2007-01-13

When I first began watching this DVD I thought "where in the world is this movie going?" it's supposed to be about the Armenian genocide & instead there's an unnecessary sex scene close to the beginning. However, even though it gets off to a very rough start it ends with a wow! There are a few moments in there (I won't do the spoiler thing) that are absolutely brilliant from a story telling point of view. It's one of those movies that stay with you long after the DVD is over. I'm only glad that I stuck with it past the beginning (which took far too long to build the story premise). Still in all, we ended up owning it.

Don't Waste Your Money.......2007-01-10

This is one of the worst films I have ever seen in my life. I am so disappointed with the whole thing from beginning to end. Shame on the writer/director. He needs to go back to film school. I hope he makes a much better movie to make up for this boring, uneventful footage in order to save his reputation and mine!!!

Recommendation of DVD Version.......2006-11-20

I originally watched this movie on cable and found it very interesting. I wanted to watch it again and got a good deal on the DVD from ebay. I'm glad I bought it. The director's commentary for the film is excellent. Egoyan directly speaks to many of the things that seemed unusual to me. For better or worse (depending on your taste), there is definite thought behind how everything was presented. It was interesting to understand the effort that Egoyan put into the movie and how he probably set himself up for criticism by not making a straighforward film about Armenian history. He just couldn't help himself; he makes something much more complex and ambiguous. It's also interesting how many times he talks about a scene being crucial. He says it so much that he even catches himself. Yet, his explanations make sense. Some viewers may have wanted him to do something different, but he has a reason for what he did. So, if you're a bit confused by all the back and forth commentary in the reviews here, there is any easy solution. Listen to what Egoyan was trying to do and then decide whether the movie is good on those terms. For me, it's great.

Average customer rating:

I Hate Dogs/Back To Ararat
Director: Pea Holmquist
Manufacturer: Markopolofilms, LLC
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

The Armenian Genocide. The PBS Documentary. A Film by Andrew Goldberg
Ararat
A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility
From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide
Survivors: An Oral History Of The Armenian Genocide

ASIN: B000BP8XSA

Product Description

I Hate Dogs: Garbis has a secret. He has harbored a lifelong hatred of dogs. This is the story of that secret...Garbis, an Armenian, is one of the last remaining survivors of the 1915 Armenian Genocide committed by the Young Turks of the Ottoman Empire. As a young boy he was forced on a death march through the deserts of Deir Zor where he, along with thousands, lost entire families during the massacres committed against the Armenians. Back to Ararat: This film is the first feature-length documentary film about the genocide of the Armenian people. The film has been shown to audiences worldwide and won numerous awards including the "Guldbaggen" for Best Swedish Film, 1988. Now available on DVD together with I Hate Dogs - the last survivor.

Average customer rating:

Ararat - Collector's Edition

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

A film within a film, this is a contemporary story of the making of a historical epic about the Armenian holocaust between 1915 and 1918. The story line follows how making the film transforms the life of an 18-year-old man hired as a driver on the production.

Average customer rating:

Should be required viewing!
Gripping, Modernized Re-telling of the 1915 Armenian Genocide
Really left an impact
Don't Waste Your Money
Recommendation of DVD Version

Ararat [Region 2]
Starring: David Alpay , Charles Aznavour , Eric Bogosian , Brent Carver , and Marie-Josée Croze
Director: Atom Egoyan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response
Exotica
The Sweet Hereafter (New Line Platinum Series)
The Armenian Genocide. The PBS Documentary. A Film by Andrew Goldberg
Where the Truth Lies (Unrated Theatrical Edition)

ASIN: B0000AZVES

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Should be required viewing!.......2007-06-27

Gripping, Modernized Re-telling of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.......2007-01-16

Really left an impact.......2007-01-13

Don't Waste Your Money.......2007-01-10

Recommendation of DVD Version.......2006-11-20

Average customer rating:

NOAH'S ARK NATIONAL PARK

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Product Description

Noah's Ark National Park - Eastern Turkey. The video includes photos taken on the ark, in the mountains of Ararat. 15 miles from Mt. Ararat is the resting site of the huge shipe.

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