‘No depiction of catastrophe will ever make up for a 100 years of denial’

Atom Egoyan (Photo: Berge Arabian)
BY MARAL DINK
From Agos
Last week, renowned Canadian film director Atom Egoyan was in Turkey for the first time. Although he had received many invitations from film festivals before, he had preferred not to come. He had legitimate reasons, fears, and concerns. ”˜Ararat’, the film he shot 13 years ago, had faced intense reaction and repression in Turkey and could not be screened.
There was a special reason for Egoyan’s visit: He had been asked to be best man at Sera Dink and Eric Nazarian’s wedding. His concerns accompanied his curiosity as he set out towards Turkey. He returned as a host to the country his ancestors had been exiled from. He was surprised, happy, and full of emotion. History was being written: “History is not always made by large public statements, but by the conversation between individuals.”