The one time owner of MGM may be 97 years old but that hasn't stopped Kirk Kerkorian from living out one of his dreams; to fund an historical epic, akin to REDS or DR. ZHIVAGO, dealing with the Armenian genocide. Showbiz 411 reports that an Oscar nominated director and screenwriter has already signed on to the project which has attracted a variety of actors; none of which are named as Kerkorian is hoping to keep this film a secret for the time being.
The Armenian genocide primarily occurred during and after World War I when the Ottoman Empire sought to completely exterminate the Armenian people. Large scale massacres took place and the people who survived those were forced on long death marches which left an estimated 1.5 to 2 million Armenians dead.
The as yet untitled film, which is said to be a "a sweeping World War I romance set against the Armenian genocide", should begin shooting this summer in Europe. There have been few films that chronicle this atrocity, let alone ones with a big-budget, so I hope Kerkovian's film manages to shine a new light on struggles of the Armenian people.
One of the only "mainstream" films I can think of which deals with the Armenian genocide in some form would be Atom Egoyan's ARARAT.
