Aurora’s Sunrise

Aurora Mardiganian was only 14 years old when most of her family was slaughtered and she herself was sold into slavery during the Armenian genocide in what is now Turkey. When she finally escaped, she fled to the US, where she quickly caught the attention of Hollywood. In 1919, she played the lead role in the silent film ‘Auction of Souls’, based on the memoir she wrote about her own life. The film became a huge success and Aurora travelled all over the world to tell her story. Meanwhile, the massacres in Armenia continued and Aurora, overworked and overextended, began to suffer mentally from constantly re-living her traumatic experiences. Happily, she recovered, married, and lived to the age of 93 in Los Angeles.

‘Aurora's Sunrise’ is a poignant animated documentary that tells Aurora's unforgettable story while shining a light on the oft-forgotten Armenian genocide. Drawing on Mardiganian's memoir and using archive footage, as well as footage from the 1919 film, previously thought lost, director Inna Sahakyan does justice to an amazing story and the equally amazing woman at its centre. ‘The remarkable life of Armenian genocide survivor Aurora Mardiganian is turned into a gripping animated documentary.’ (Screen)