Armenian Genocide movie in theaters on Friday

The movie "The Promise," confirming the existence of the Armenian genocide, will be in U.S. theaters Friday on the eve of the genocide's anniversary, April 21. The film was screened at the Vatican Tuesday, Churchmilitant.com reports.

Kirk Kerkorian, an Armenian-American and former owner of MGM studio, wanted to make the film for decades but couldn't because of what director Terry George calls a "denialist lobby." Producer George Winter confirmed the extended delay was owing to those who rejected the reality of the Armenian genocide.

"It was a controversial topic, even when he [Kerkorian] owned the company," said Winter.

Kerkorian died in 2015, exactly 100 years after the Armenian genocide got underway in 1915. He left $100 million in his will to fund the movie. Work on the film started that same year. Shortly thereafter, Pope Francis referred to the atrocity as a genocide. While saying Mass in St Peter's Basilica in the presence of many Armenians attending the canonization of St. Gregory Narek, Pope Francis related:

The first genocide of the 20th century struck your own Armenian people, the first Christian nation, as well as Catholic and Orthodox Syrians, Assyrians, Chaldeans and Greeks. Bishops and priests, religious, women and men, the elderly and even defenseless children and the infirm were murdered.