WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the release of the much anticipated film The Promise today, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) strongly encourages Armenians and non-Armenians alike to see the movie this weekend (click here for listings across the country).
The Promise, a Hollywood film that depicts the extraordinary events of the Armenian Genocide, was created by the late Kirk Kerkorian’s production company Survival Pictures. All proceeds from the film will be donated to various non-profit organizations as well as other humanitarian and human rights groups.
“It was Kirk’s wish to be philanthropic. It all starts and stops with his generosity,” The Promise Producer Eric Esrailian said. “The thinking was not only to make film but make sure we are helping people at the same time. Kirk said, you know, we can do both. By making films that have this kind of social impact and then making sure the proceeds are donated to help others makes a second impact.”
“We are witnessing an overwhelmingly positive response to The Promise and urge everyone to watch the film this weekend with family and friends,” stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.
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In addition to Oscar Issac, Christian Bale, and Charlotte Le Bon who star in the film, Cher, George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Nina Dobrev, Jason Bateman, Barbara Streisand and many more have expressed their support for The Promise.
“I was extremely fastidious on the real political moments that the story tells. All these historical moments, I can cite several historians,” The Promise Director Terry George said. “I’ve learned to catalogue and very carefully research all those [real] events. I’ve learned that those little things are very important.” He added, “The story may be fictional, but the history is fact.”
The Armenian National Institute (ANI), credited at the end of the film for its assistance, provided historical imagery for The Promise.
Like The Promise, The Washington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, and The Federalist among others relied on the widely popular ANI site for accurate information on the Armenian Genocide. AGOS, published in Istanbul, also covered ANI extensively on its new Turkish language version of the website. In addition, the Armenian Genocide Museum of America (AGMA) is another commonly used source.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.