Ararat Page #2

of the artist's early life

in his native land.

Gorky is seen holding

a bunch of small flowers

as a fragrant gift

to his absent father,

the intended recipient

of this remarkable photograph.

- I'm confused.

Had Gorky changed his name

by this point?

- No.

He changed it in his twenties,

after his arrival

to the United States.

- Celia, sit down.

- Gorky looks prematurely solemn.

With almond eyes and oval face,

his hair combed neatly

to the side,

Shushan looks bravely

at the camera,

challenging her absent husband...

- Challenging?

Why would you say that?

Isn't it obvious he knew

the Armenians were about to be

massacred? He went to America

to prepare a life

for his family.

They wanted to send him

a photograph

to let him know

they're still alive.

There's nothing challenging...

- Gorky never understood

why his father did not return.

- Celia, just sit down. Come on.

- Aren't you confusing Gorky's

father with your dead husband?

I mean, your first dead husband.

The one who was shot

by the police. The terrorist.

- Sit down.

Sit down. We're here

to listen to this lecture.

- Let's go.

- 'The Artist and His Mother'

is not simply a painted version

of a photograph.

The differences underline

the expressive elements

that make this piece

such a powerful

work of art.

Gorky's homage to his mother was

bound to take on sacred quality.

His experience as a survivor

of the Armenian genocide

is at the root

of its spiritual power.

With this painting, Gorky had

saved his mother from oblivion,

snatching her

out of a pile of corpses

to place her

on a pedestal of life.

Let me look at you son.

You're missing a button!

It must have fallen off...

Hold your hand in front of it.

Like this?

Yes.

I'm just so shocked

to see you here.

I've seen all your films

and I really...

- Please. Please.

- We're the ones

who are overwhelmed by this.

I've been writing

this screenplay for five years,

done as much research

as possible

and you come up with this.

- With what?

- Well, that Gorky was a child

during the rebellion in Van,

that he was there.

It's amazing.

- My mother

was a genocide survivor.

All my life, I promised to make

a film to tell her story,

how she suffered.

And now,

we are making this film.

- I'm not understanding

something.

Is Gorky in your film?

- Not yet.

- As you were speaking,

we got very excited

about the idea of working

him in. As another character.

Well, not an entirely

new character,

but a character

we could build on.

See, this amazing artist

as a young kid...

It would be great

to have you as a consultant.

- You have her photos, a gift

from the ashes of all

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes