Let's have a show of hands. Who can tell me anything about the Ottoman Empire? Where was it? When did it exist? How long did it last? If you are anything like me, you probably won't be able to answer those questions, particularly if you were educated in the United States. World History is a thing of the past in our schools and the smattering of what we had was limited to western Europe and the United States. Ancient History was all about Greece and Rome.
At the height of its power, the Ottoman Empire encompassed big chunks of Europe and Asia, parts of Africa, plus much of the Near and Middle East. It was headquartered in Constantinople (now Istanbul) and was in existence from 1299 up into 1923. (I Googled it!) Our film takes place as it has begun its final decade. Now that you understand the macro view, let's move to the micro.
Acclaimed writer/director Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda") and his co-writer Robin Swicord ("Memoirs of a Geisha"), inspired by true events, bring us an eternal triangle set against a backdrop of turmoil and genocide. It's 1914 and the run-up to World War One has begun; the Germans are successfully courting the Turks.
A small part of the wonderful cast:
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