Empires fall, love survives. When Michael (Oscar Isaac), a brilliant medical student, meets Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between Michael and Ana’s boyfriend Chris (Christian Bale), a famous American photojournalist dedicated to exposing political truth. As the Ottoman Empire crumbles into war-torn chaos, their conflicting passions must be deferred while they join forces to get their people to safety and survive themselves. The Promise is directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) 

#ThePromise, long awaited epic film about the Armenian Genocide releases April 21, 2017 by Academy Award winner Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) 

The film is by Open Road Productions, Survival Films a production company started by late billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, who was born to Genocide Survivors in Fresno, California then by gut instinct became a billionaire with such adventures as TWA Airlines, Chrysler Motors, MGM Studios, MGM Hotels and Resorts.  Mr. Kerkorian was from my hometown of Fresno, CA that has produced other famous Armenian Americans: Pulitzer prize winning Author William Saroyan, Cher, and Mike Connors (Krikor Ohanion) star of Mannix, Academy Award winning writer of "Schindlers List" Steve Zailian.

Mr. Kerkorian never forgot his roots and was always generous donating money to our Childrens Hospitals (Valley Childrens Hospital) and educational institutions including over $25 million to UCLA.  Never having much beyond an 8th grade education, it was important to invest in children.  Having given a sizeable donation to the private school I was on the board of we were able to purchase the new white boards (Smart Boards)  making us the first in Central California to have the technology.  

Its a personal film for the 10 million Armenians living in the Diaspora: Argentina, France, USA, Canada, Uruguay, Australia, Germany, Syria, Iraq, Iran and more.  Majority of us lost ancestors in either the Hamidian massacres (under bloody Sultan Hamid) or after with the ordered 1915 removal of indigenous Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians from their homeland of Anatolia (Republic of Turkey est. 1923)  My Grandparents were both orphans, saving their name and starting a new community was important to them.  Armenia was the first nation of people to establish Christianity as their official religion in 301 AD, most to this day remain faithful despite the horrid barbaric genocide on the Greeks, Armenians, Pontus Greeks and Assyrians.  Which dwindled the indigenous Christian population to a mere fraction of the population.  Today there is over 36 ethnic groups in Turkey but Turkish Nationalism and education teaches there is only 1, Turkish.  To date the Turkish Government refuses to acknowledge the events of 1915 as a genocide and down play the disappearance of 2 million Armenians as lame excuses of: 1) Armenians were rebel traitors and left the back door open for the Russians to defeat the Ottomans 2) "We acknowledge the death and suffering of Armenians but as many Turks were killed" 3)  Not acknowledging the magnitude of 2 million but downplaying that it was like a mere 400,000 that died while Turkish military removed them from Turkey for their own safety - Of course, death marches through the Syrian Desert.  

Sadly, today we are still witnessing Genocides committed throughout the world.  If the USA can admit to the systematic killing of American Indians, can we not expect Turkey to do the same?  Would accountability for their history stop future genocides?     Please see #ThePromise #NeverBeSilent #KeepThePromise #StopGenocide