Aurora’s Sunrise, a film about Armenian Genocide survivor Aurora Mardiganian directed by Inna Sahakyan, has won the Grand Prix at the 2023 International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights – FIFDH.
“The reconstitution of memories through a mise en scène that combines the strength of testimony, images from a film that was thought to be lost and the use of watercolour animation that carries the weight of tragic events. A cinematographic work that aims to prevent the Armenian genocide from being forgotten,” the jury statement reads.
Filmmaker Inna Sahakyan commented on the win by saying that it is a unique award. “Aurora was fighting to keep humanity alive within herself, mitigating the pain on screen, and this means that her mission still goes on and will never be forgotten. Surviving her pain on screen, Aurora was struggling for human rights. This award proves that her mission continues,” Sahakyan said in comments to the national cinema center.
The odyssey of Aurora Mardiganian from Armenian genocide survivor to silent movie star is close to unreal. Having lost her family, escaped slavery and now enduring trauma, she journeys far to tell the world of the Armenian Genocide as it happened. Once in Hollywood, as a star of the silent screen, her story becomes the biggest blockbuster of the time. 30 million dollars is raised, which will save 160 000 orphans, whose descendants number in the millions today. Her courage long forgotten, “Aurora’s Sunrise” revives Aurora’s story through unique testimony, archive footage, and the magic of animation.
