Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Graphic
- somber
- haunting
- intellectually demanding
- serious film study
- historical remembrance
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as ambitious and deeply engaged with historical memory, while finding its layered structure confusing and convoluted.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The genocide film project, family stories, and Turkish denial place historical remembrance at the center of the drama.
Lectures, a film production, family conflicts, customs interviews, and returned film canisters interconnect across storytelling levels.
The director's attempt to incorporate Arshile Gorky's life and the Van violence turns filmmaking itself into a source of conflict.
Ani's family stress, Celia's blame, and Raffi's return from Turkey connect private relationships to Armenian historical trauma.
Films like Ararat, and why
The Look of Silence
layered historical memory, political trauma, and a filmmaker interrogating how genocide is represented
Shoah
fragmented storytelling about inherited violence, contested history, and national trauma
The Lives of Others
arthouse drama connecting personal grief with the difficult reconstruction of historical catastrophe
Movie Details
- Director
- Atom Egoyan
- Release Date
- 2002-05-20
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (100)
Cast
- Simon Abkarian
- Charles Aznavour
- Christopher Plummer
- Arsinée Khanjian
- David Alpay
- Marie-Josée Croze
- Elias Koteas
- Brent Carver
- Max Morrow
- Christie MacFadyen
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ararat about?
- A fractured Canadian Armenian family becomes entangled with a film project confronting the legacy and representation of the Armenian Genocide.
- What is Ararat like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ararat as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is Ararat violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Ararat as graphic.
- What did critics think of Ararat?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as ambitious and deeply engaged with historical memory, while finding its layered structure confusing and convoluted.
- Which films are like Ararat?
- Films with a similar feel include The Look of Silence, Shoah, and The Lives of Others.
- How long is Ararat?
- Ararat runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ararat?
- In United States, Ararat is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies, YouTube.
