Aurora Mardiganian

YEREVAN (Panorama.am) — The state-supported animated documentary, “Aurora’s Sunrise,” directed by Inna Sahakyan, won the Best International Film Award at the MiradasDoc Festival, Spain’s foremost documentary film festival, which wrapped its 16th edition on February 4.

Announcing the selection, the jury described the film as “a convincing story elegantly told, through archives, animation and fiction, about a little-known genocide that sheds light and awareness on today’s political tensions and challenges,” the National Cinema Center of Armenia reported on Monday, February 6, citing Variety.

“We congratulate the film’s creative team and extend our best wishes for their continued success,” it said.

A scene from “Aurora’s Sunrise”

A co-production of Armenia, Lithuania and Germany, “Aurora’s Sunrise” tells the extraordinary story of Aurora Mardiganian, who survived the Armenian Genocide as a teenager, and later came to Hollywood where she starred in a 1919 silent film based on her account of the massacre.

This film was made possible with the academic contribution of the Zoryan Institute and is based on its Oral History Archive.

Get the Mirror in your inbox:
Get the Mirror-Spectator Weekly in your inbox: