In
Toronto, an
Armenian Canadian family is headed by Ani, a widow whose husband attempted to assassinate a Turkish ambassador. Her adult son Raffi is involved in a sexual affair with Celia, his step-sister, who has accused Ani of pushing her father off of a cliff, while Ani insists he slipped and fell. Ani gives
art history presentations on Armenian American painter
Arshile Gorky, with Celia constantly attending and publicly heckling Ani about concealing the truth. An Armenian film director, Edward Saroyan, arrives in Toronto with a goal to make a film about the Armenian genocide, the
Van Resistance, and Gorky. Ani is hired as a historical consultant, with Raffi working on the project with his mother. 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. Ali shrugs the encounter off, saying they were both born in Canada and they should together try to move past the genocide. After Raffi returns to Canada from a flight to Turkey, he is interrogated at
airport security by a retiring customs official named David, who has reason to believe Raffi is involved in a plot to smuggle drugs. Rather than employ drug-sniffing dogs, David prefers to speak to Raffi at length, with Raffi claiming he had taken it upon himself to shoot extra footage in Turkey. In fact, the film is premiering that night. Inspired by his own son, David chooses to believe Raffi is innocent, and releases him. The film reels remain with him, however, which David discovers to contain
heroin. ==Cast==