Ararat is a 2002 historical-drama film written and directed by Atom Egoyan and starring Charles Aznavour, Christopher Plummer, David Alpay, Arsinée Khanjian, Eric Bogosian, Bruce Greenwood, and Elias Koteas.

In addition to exploring the human impact of that specific historical event, Ararat examines the nature of truth and its representation through art.

In Toronto, an Armenian Canadian family is headed by Ani, a widow whose husband attempted to assassinate a Turkish ambassador.

An aspiring Turkish Canadian actor named Ali receives his big break when cast as Ottoman governor Jevdet Bey.

Ali reads on the history of the genocide, which he had never heard much of before, and offends Raffi when he tells Saroyan that he believes the Ottomans felt the genocide was justified, in light of World War I. Raffi attempts to explain to Ali that the Armenians were citizens of the Ottoman Empire and that the Turks were not at war with them.

[4] Numerous Armenian Canadian characters in the film identify symbols with their heritage, such as pictures of Mount Ararat.

[7] Producer Robert Lantos had promised that he would support a film about the genocide if Egoyan ever felt prepared to make one.

[9] For cinematography, Egoyan worked with his frequent collaborator Paul Sarossy, with shooting taking place over 45 days during summer 2001.

The battle scenes depicting the Defense of Van were shot in Drumheller, Alberta, with some of the soldiers actually being computer generated.

[8] When Ararat was released, it was the sole film screened in commercial theaters in the United States in the modern era to be about the Armenian genocide.

[20] In Canada, The Globe and Mail wrote "The metaphors are provocative, but too often, the viewer is left puzzled by the mechanics of the delivery.

"[23] The BBC's Tom Dawson wrote the film "feels clumsy and convoluted" compared to Egoyan's other work.

The website's critics consensus reads, "Though Ararat radiates intelligence, its impact is diminished by an overly intricate plot and cerebral style.

[16] Some individuals sent threats to Egoyan, including statements that a release of the film could result in danger for Armenians in Turkey.

[26] Film Quarterly stated "Ararat touched off a new round of angry denials and charges of hate mongering.