The genocide of Armenians by the Ottomans from 1915 to 1923 claimed the lives of more than 1.5 million men, women and children. It’s a black stain on history that, to this day, Turkey still furiously whitewashes. Cinema has sporadically dealt with this subject in the past, but now The Promise (★★★, cert 12A, 133 mins) is attempting to bring the story of what happened to the Armenians to the mainstream. It is, apparently, the most expensive independent film ever created, funded by the late Kirk Kerkorian, a businessman of Armenian descent who once owned MGM. The film tells the story of Mikael (Oscar Isaac), who is studying medicine in Istanbul when the genocide begins. He is sent to a labour camp, which he escapes from, subsequently returning to his village where he marries his long-term betrothed.