Ararat (2002)

David Alpay: Raffi

Photos 

Quotes 

• Raffi : But he thinks Turkey was at war with Armenia. Doesn't it bother you that he doesn't get the history?

  Edward Saroyan : No, not really.

  Raffi : I mean why didn't you explain to him that we were citizens, we were Turkish citizens. We had a right to be protected.

  Edward Saroyan : Are you driving him home?

  Raffi : Yeah.

  Edward Saroyan : Huh. Take this.

  [hands him dollar bills] 

  Edward Saroyan : Buy him a bottle of champagne. Let him think that he has done something special.

  Raffi : Something special? I'm sorry, Mr Saroyan, I don't think I understand.

  Edward Saroyan : Young man, do you know what still causes so much pain? It's not the people we lost, or the land. It's to know that we could be so hated. Who are these people, who could hate us so much? How can they still deny their hatred? And so hate us... hate us even more?

• Ani : Your father died for something he believed in.

  Raffi : I wish I had some idea of what that was.

• Raffi : Everything I've told you is exactly what happened.

• 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.

• Ani : Did you give her my book?

  Raffi : This is too weird for me.

  Ani : What is weird Raffi?

  [pause] 

  Ani : Smoking pot, or sleeping with you step-sister?