Edward Saroyan, a veteran filmmaker of Armenian descent now living in Toronto, wants to make a film about the Siege of Van. This historical event took place in 1915 when Ottoman troops forced the Armenian population to evacuate leading to a genocide.
The 21-year-old Raffi, of Armenian descent, too, is sent to Turkey to shoot the background footage. His mother Ani, a writer and historian, is likewise involved in the project as a consultant. The relationship to her son his difficult as he dates Celia, Ani's daughter from her second marriage, who blames Ani for the suicide of her father. Ani's first husband, Raffi's father was killed during an attempted assasination on a Turkish political leader.
When Raffi wants to re-enter Canada with the film material he is detained by customs officer David. In the course of the inquiry Raffi tells him the story of the fim and the genocide. David has his own connection to the film as he has to come to terms with the homosexuality of his son, whose lover plays the villain in the movie.
Saroyan and Ani discuss a lot about the presentation of the genocide and the terrible events in a movie made for cinema and in the end Saroyan refrains from presenting the events in a naturalistic way.