In 2002, Canadian-raised filmmaker Atom Egoyan wrote and directed the film “Ararat,” which tackles an issue that remains controversial even after nearly a century. In 1915, during World War I, roughly 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by Ottoman Turks. Although documented records of the genocide exist, Turkish officials have yet to apologize for the incident; in fact, they have yet to acknowledge that it even occurred.

Egoyan was born into a struggling Armenian family, and his motives as a filmmaker show the distinct pride he takes in his roots. In 1994 he received critical acclaim for “Calendar,” which was filmed entirely in Armenia. Most of the shooting for “Ararat” took place in Toronto, but the film explores the depths of Armenian pride that remain universal. Egoyan remembers the impact that this tragedy had on his entire culture, and how the aftermath still affects him today. He says, “From the beginning, my goal was to make a film that would tell a part of who I was at 18, and I needed to find a way of expressing things I had to deal with.”

Egoyan’s “Ararat” is important because it is the first major film to address the atrocities of 1915. To increase accuracy, the film’s actors are mostly of Armenian heritage. For example, Egoyan’s Armenian wife, Arsinée Kharjian, plays an art history professor in the film, and behind the scenes she served as a consultant on the project. Eric Bogosian and French singer-actor Charles Aznavour, who are both of Armenian descent, also co-star. The casting enhances the film’s authenticity, and allows real people to express relative emotions toward a difficult subject.

It is not uncommon for an artist to approach a project with an underlying personal attachment. Steven Spielberg, who is Jewish, has explored the tragedy of World War II many times, including his Oscar-winner “Schindler’s List.” Scholars believe that J.R.R. Tolkein’s novels, although fictional, draw influence from the author’s European background. Similarly, Egoyan draws on his Armenian heritage to create a drama that will not be forgotten by his people, or any other culture.

Egoyan’s film title symbolizes more than just the Armenian region in which the genocide occurred. Ararat is also the name of a large Turkish volcano that borders Armenia, Iran and Iraq. Scholars have labeled Ararat the cradle of civilization, and it is suggested that this was where Noah’s ark once docked. The landform represents an eternal Armenia, and the appropriately named film honors the culture. “Ararat” depicts history at its most tragic, but the audience is left with an optimistic vision of our future.

“Ararat” will be shown four times in the Connelly Center Cinema: Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m., April 18 at 3:30 and 7 p.m. and April 19 at 7 p.m. Admission is $3 for students and $4 for all others.

The Monday evening showing will feature CFS director Brian O’Leary, who will introduce the film and lead a discussion, “Meaning and Redemption in the Aftermath of Genocide.”

For more information, call x9-4750 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or see the CFS web page www.culturalfilms.villanova.edu.

By Jordan Pohlman

Special To the villanovan

In 2002, Canadian-raised filmmaker Atom Egoyan wrote and directed the film “Ararat,” which tackles an issue that remains controversial even after nearly a century. In 1915, during World War I, roughly 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by Ottoman Turks. Although documented records of the genocide exist, Turkish officials have yet to apologize for the incident; in fact, they have yet to acknowledge that it even occurred.

Egoyan was born into a struggling Armenian family, and his motives as a filmmaker show the distinct pride he takes in his roots. In 1994 he received critical acclaim for “Calendar,” which was filmed entirely in Armenia. Most of the shooting for “Ararat” took place in Toronto, but the film explores the depths of Armenian pride that remain universal. Egoyan remembers the impact that this tragedy had on his entire culture, and how the aftermath still affects him today. He says, “From the beginning, my goal was to make a film that would tell a part of who I was at 18, and I needed to find a way of expressing things I had to deal with.”

Egoyan’s “Ararat” is important because it is the first major film to address the atrocities of 1915. To increase accuracy, the film’s actors are mostly of Armenian heritage. For example, Egoyan’s Armenian wife, Arsinée Kharjian, plays an art history professor in the film, and behind the scenes she served as a consultant on the project. Eric Bogosian and French singer-actor Charles Aznavour, who are both of Armenian descent, also co-star. The casting enhances the film’s authenticity, and allows real people to express relative emotions toward a difficult subject.

It is not uncommon for an artist to approach a project with an underlying personal attachment. Steven Spielberg, who is Jewish, has explored the tragedy of World War II many times, including his Oscar-winner “Schindler’s List.” Scholars believe that J.R.R. Tolkein’s novels, although fictional, draw influence from the author’s European background. Similarly, Egoyan draws on his Armenian heritage to create a drama that will not be forgotten by his people, or any other culture.

Egoyan’s film title symbolizes more than just the Armenian region in which the genocide occurred. Ararat is also the name of a large Turkish volcano that borders Armenia, Iran and Iraq. Scholars have labeled Ararat the cradle of civilization, and it is suggested that this was where Noah’s ark once docked. The landform represents an eternal Armenia, and the appropriately named film honors the culture. “Ararat” depicts history at its most tragic, but the audience is left with an optimistic vision of our future.

“Ararat” will be shown four times in the Connelly Center Cinema: Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m., April 18 at 3:30 and 7 p.m. and April 19 at 7 p.m. Admission is $3 for students and $4 for all others.

The Monday evening showing will feature CFS director Brian O’Leary, who will introduce the film and lead a discussion, “Meaning and Redemption in the Aftermath of Genocide.”

For more information, call x9-4750 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., or see the CFS web page www.culturalfilms.villanova.edu.