The Australian premiere of The Promise was held on Tuesday 6 June at Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne, with the support of the Armenian National Committee of Australia, Armenian General Benevolent Union of Australia, and Armenian Youth Federation of Australia.
The event’s special guest was New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian MP who said that she hopes more people will watch the film in her heartfelt address.
“It is an extremely important topic for all Armenians,” she said, thanking the late Armenian philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian for backing the creation of the movie in full, covering all costs.
The much-hyped controversial period drama was produced on a $100 million budget, a massive figure for an independent film.
“The Armenian community must take every chance to contribute to the recognition of the Armenian genocide,” she stressed.
The film starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac will be released in Australian cinemas next Thursday 15 June.
Directed by Terry George, The Promise follows the story of an Armenian medical student (Isaac) and an American journalist (Bale) who both fall in love with the same Armenian woman, played by Charlotte Le Bon. Their story is set against the Armenian genocide in Turkey at the outset of World War I.