Ararat (2002)

Elias Koteas: Ali, Jevdet Bay

Quotes 

• Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : [to Edward Saroyan]  I think the Turks had a real reason to believe that the Armenians were a threat to their security. I mean, their eastern border was threatened by Russia and, I mean, if they believed that the Armenians were gonna betray them, so this was their war. Populations get moved around all the time.

• Raffi : Were you serious about what you told him?

  Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : What?

  Raffi : That you don't think it happened?

  Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : What, the genocide?

  Raffi : Yeah.

  Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : Are you gonna shoot me or something? Look, I never heard about any of this stuff when I was growing up. You know? I did some research for the part. From what I read there were deportations and lots of people died. Armenians and Turks. It was World War I.

  Raffi : But Turkey wasn't at war with the Armenians. I mean, just like Germany wasn't at war with the Jews. They were citizens. They were expecting to be protected. That scene you just shot was based on an eyewitness account. Your character Jevdet Bey, the only reason they put him in Van was to carry out the complete extermination of the Armenian population in Van. There were telegrams, there were communicators...

  Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : Look I'm not saying that something didn't happen.

  Raffi : Something...

  Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : Look, I was born here. So were you right?

  Raffi : Yeah.

  Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : This is a new country. So let's just drop the fucking history and get on with it. Noone's gonna wreck your home. Noone's gonna destroy you family. Hmm? So let's go inside and uncork this thing and celebrate. Hmm?

  Raffi : Do you know what Adolf Hitler told his military commanders to convince them that his plan would work? "Who remembers the extermination of the Armenians?"

  Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : And nobody did. Nobody does.

• Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : [as Jevdet Bey, holds up photo]  This your mother? She's given you this photograph so that you may remember her. Look at it now. This is the face of a woman who's raised you to feel superior to us. She's taught you that Turks are vengeful and ignorant. That we're blood-thirsty. Now I am going to teach you something. For what is about to happen to you people is your own fault. 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 are overrun with your markets and moneylenders. Your greed has let us to corruption and ruin. Now you yourselves will be ruined.

• Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : [as Jevdet Bey]  We've invested you Greeks and Armenians with power and freedom.

  [pounds desk] 

  Ali, actor playing Jevdet Bey : You should be *thankful*!