POV: Aurora's Sunrise

By Jennifer Robinson / Web Producer

Published October 20, 2023 at 12:38 PM PDT

In a white flowing gown and a flower crown, Aurora dances with her sister in a performance for her parents. She holds a smiling sun mask next to her face. Her family home is the background — the scene alternates between her home before the genocide and after.

Premieres Monday, Oct. 23, 2023 at 11:30 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS App

POV recounts the harrowing tale of Aurora, a survivor of the 1915 Armenian genocide, who lost her family, fled slavery and after escaping to America becomes the face of a massive humanitarian campaign, in the semi-animated documentary, "Aurora’s Sunrise."

AURORA'S SUNRISE | Inna SAHAKYAN | Anima 2023 - Trailer

Based on the real-life story of Arshaluys (aka Aurora) Mardiganian, director Inna Sahakyan’s film focuses on five years of her life; on the events shortly before-, during and after the genocide. “Aurora’s Sunrise,” an Armenian-German-Lithuanian co-production, is the first-ever animated documentary film made in Armenia, and was Armenia’s official selection for the 95th Academy® Awards “Best International Feature Film'' category.

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The Mardigian family posing for a photograph outdoors. They are wearing formal, traditional clothing, and framed with long vines and the simple backdrop of their home. There are four daughters and three sons surrounding their parents, the youngest of which are embraced by their parents.

Filmmaker Quote:

Director Inna Sahakyan said: “Anne Frank once said: ‘What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it from happening again.’ Aurora’s story happened more than 100 years ago, but sadly the world did not change. Genocides and wars take place today in Ukraine, in Syria, and – very heavy for me personally – in Armenia. Right now more than 120,000 Armenians in Artsakh, known internationally as Nagorno Karabakh, have been besieged for over 8 months now face starvation and ethnic cleansing. I know that this sounds naive and too optimistic, but after watching this film, I hope people will not just learn, but feel and embrace the lessons from the past. And that it will help persuade individual minds not to be pushed into participating in yet more wars and genocides. That way, I would feel all that Aurora did was not in vain.”

In 1915, as WWI raged on, the Ottoman Empire singled out its entire Armenian population for destruction. At only 14 years old, Aurora Mardiganian was forced to a death march towards the Syrian desert. There, she lost her entire family before being kidnapped and sold into slavery.

Four years later, through luck and extraordinary courage, she escaped to New York, where her odyssey became a media sensation. Her newfound fame led to her starring as herself in the 1919 silent film, “Auction of Souls,” based on her published memoir, Ravished Armenia. Directed by Oscar Apfel, the film became one of Hollywood's earliest blockbusters.

A nighttime premier of Aurora Mardigian's film, Auction of Souls. The shot is centered with premier attendees headed up the stairs, while there are hoards of paparazzi flanking the red carpet. There is a notable contrast between the imagery from the film, in which Aurora is shown beleaguered, and the attendees below, who are dressed in glamorous clothes.

As the massacres in Armenia continued, Aurora was engulfed by waves of re-lived trauma whipped up by the callous Hollywood publicity machine. In the hope of saving her people, she was one of the first women activists fighting against the injustices of war. Because of her efforts, she became the face of one of the largest charity campaigns in American history.

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Aurora stands alone in her white gown and flower crown holding the sun mask at her side. She looks down, forlorn, among spools of red thread. This moment follows Aurora's realization that she's one of the few who survived the genocide.

Film Awards:

“Aurora’s Sunrise” premiered in competition at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2022 and then became a festival favorite winning more than 10 awards, including the Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2022 for Best Animated Film, Movies that Matter 2023 Audience Award and Special Mention Winner, Audience Favorites at IDFA 2022, Audience Awards at Animation is Film 2022 and FIFDH Geneva International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights 2023 for Grand Prix, among others.

Reviews:

“The film’s coherence is a reflection of both the skill of the filmmaker, and the heroic efforts of Aurora herself to ensure that her view of history would not be forgotten.”-Teo Bugbee, The New York Times

“A reminder that film doesn't just record history, it can transport us through it.”-Brian Tallerico,RogerEbert.com

“'Aurora’s Sunrise' is resolutely her tale, but its storybook aesthetic evokes the loss of innocence. It makes the tragedy doubly piercing.”- Pat Mullen, POV Magazine

Aurora in car in New York going to Grand Central

Watch On Your Schedule:

This film will make its national broadcast premiere on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023 and will be available to stream until Jan. 23, 2024 at pbs.org, and the PBS App.

In addition to standard closed captioning for the film, POV, in partnership with audio description serviceDiCapta, provides real time audio interpretations for audiences with sensory disabilities.

Credits:

A co-production between Armenia, Germany and Lithuania, produced by Bars Media, Artbox Laisvalaikio Klubas and Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion, in co-production with ZD, in collaboration with Arte. The film was written and directed by Inna Sahakyan, with Gediminas Skyrius as lead illustrator, Ruben Ghazaryan as live-action director and editor, Tigran Arakelyan as art director and music composed by Christine Aufderhaar. The producers are Vardan Hovhannisyan, Christian Beetz, Justė Michailinaitė, Kęstutis Drazdauskas, Eric Esrailian and Sahakyan. The Executive Producers are Erika Dilday and Chris White for American Documentary | POV. “Aurora’s Sunrise” was made possible with the academic contribution of the Zoryan Institute and is based on its Oral History Archive.

POV: Aurora's Sunrise

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