On April 24, 1915 the Ottoman Empire (modern day Turkey) began slaughtering innocent Armenians in order to create a more homogenous empire. In as little as one year, 1.2 million Armenians were killed. Those who were not murdered were placed in labor battalions or pushed out of their homes and into the dessert to starve. No, this is not a pop quiz and you did not learn about this in history class. Many countries, including America, do not formally recognize the Armenian Genocide due to alliances with Turkey. But now you can learn about this dark moment in history.
Armenian families flocked to the movie theaters on Friday, April 21, to see a portrayal of their history in The Promise. They were not disappointed. The movie follows Mikael (Oscar Isaac), a young Armenian medical student, as he does everything in his power to keep himself and his loved ones safe. Mikael is in Constantinople when the massacres begin and sees how quickly life as he knows it can change as he attempts to escape the Turkish army. The movie will keep you on the edge of your seat with a tissue in your hand as you witness some of the atrocities of the Armenian Genocide.
If the history does not bring you to the theaters, The Promise also has a romantic subplot. Mikael is caught in a love triangle with a beautiful Armenian woman named Ana (Charlotte Le Bon) and her boyfriend Chris (Christian Bale), an American journalist working for the Associated Press. It’s actually even more complicated than a love triangle. Mikael is also betrothed to a woman who stayed in Armenia while he took the dowry to study medicine in Constantinople.
If you need even more reason to go see The Promise, all the proceeds made while the movie is in theaters will be donated to human rights nonprofit organizations. One of the nonprofits that will benefit from the movie proceeds is Elton John’s AIDS Foundation.
I’ve given you three valid reasons to go see this movie, but the most important is to learn about the Armenian Genocide. We cannot allow a government to completely deny the murder of millions of people. The Promise brings recognition and remembrance to honor those who were lost. Our world might have forgotten them, but not anymore. The Promise holds a promise within itself to not let those innocent lives be forgotten, and holds a spark of hope that the world might recognize and hold Turkey accountable for the Armenian Genocide.