In
The Cut (2014) the main character's name 'Nazaret Manoogian', played by
Tahar Rahim, contains multiple references: The first name is a reference to Jesus of Nazareth and the Armenian people's Christian religion.
The surname is a reference to two prominent Armenian-Americans:
First
Haig Manoogian (May 23, 1916 - May 26, 1980): Haig Manoogian was an Armenian-American professor of film at 'New York University', where
Martin Scorsese, who was one of his students. Manoogian'co-produced Scorsese's first feature film
Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967) and Scorsese later dedicated
Raging Bull (1980) to his former teacher. Since director
Fatih Akin described Scorsese as a 'cinematic father' and his films as a strong influence on his own work, this reference must be regarded as intentional.
Second Alex Manoogian (June 28, 1901 - July 10, 1996): Alex Manoogian was an Armenian refugee of genocide from the Ottoman Empire and immigrant to the United States, who became an industrial engineer, businessman and entrepreneur in Detroit, Michigan. The billionaire Manoogian was a philanthropist who donated to churches, educational institutions and charities of the Armenian Diaspora, to preserve and continue their culture. In 1993, Alex Manoogian was named a 'National Hero of Armenia' and a citizen of Armenia by President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the first person outside the country to be so honored. In 2007 Alex Manoogian and his wife Marie, who died in 1993, were buried with state honors in the Republic of Armenia.
