Set in 1914 with the Great War and violence of the Armenian Genocide on the horizon, The Promise brings together an extremely talented roster of actors including Oscar Isaac, Charlotte le Bon and Christian Bale in a story that quickly turns sour and dangerous for all involved. This week, a brand new poster for the film has been revealed, as well as a first look official UK trailer, showcasing some of the action and chaos that audiences should expect. You can check those out below:
The official synopsis for the film reads: “It is 1914. As the Great war looms, the mighty Ottoman Empire is crumbling. Constantinople, the once vibrant, multicultural capital on the shores of the Bosporus, is about to be consumed by chaos. Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac), arrives in the cosmopolitan hub as a medical student determined to bring modern medicine back to Siroun, his ancestral village in Southern Turkey where Turkish Muslims and Armenian Christians have lived side by side for centuries.
“Photo-journalist Chris Myers (Christian Bale), has come here only partly to cover geo-politics. He is mesmerised by his love for Ana (Charlotte le Bon), an Armenian artist he has accompanied from Paris after the sudden death of her father. When Michael meets Ana, their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men.
“As the Turks form an alliance against its own ethnic minorities, their conflicting passions must be deferred while they join forces to survive even as events threaten to overwhelm them. The one promise that must be kept is to live on and tell the story.”
It was reported earlier this year that all proceeds from The Promise would be going directly to various non-profit organisations including Sir Elton John’s AIDs Foundation and other human and humanitarian rights groups, though it’s not clear if this is just the proceeds made from the US box office, or everywhere in which the film is released.
Sir Elton’s husband David Furnish, and chairman of the Elton John AIDs Foundation commented: “Such giving has never happened with a film of this scale, we wanted the world to know about it, and we are incredible grateful. We are honoured to announce this generosity, thanks to the late philanthropist and humanitarian Kirk Kerkorian.”
The Promise is released in cinemas across the UK on April 28, 2017.