AURORA'S SUNRISE

In 1919, a spectacular film treating the systematic genocide of the Armenian people was shot in Hollywood. AUCTION OF SOULS enjoyed great success in the USA. Based on the story of the young Armenian Arshaluys Mardigian – one of the few survivors of the mass killings of the 1910s – and featuring Arshaluys herself in the lead role, this silent film tells of the young woman's struggle to survive. The film itself has only been preserved in fragments. In a combination of original silent film footage, historical photographs, animated sequences and interviews with Arshaluys Mardigian, who changed her name to Aurora in Hollywood, director Inna Sahakyan reconstructs Arshaluys’ story and the horrific events of the genocide perpetrated against the Armenian people. The years of research that went into the film, in conjunction with its painterly animated scenes, make AURORA’S SUNRISE a special historical testimony. The result is a visually stunning work that illustrates both the struggle for personal freedom and self-determination and the fight for Armenia's freedom.