Emmanuel Itier

AURORA’S SUNRISE

From Director Inna Shakyan

Thanks to my dear friend Louisa Sharamatyan (https://www.instagram.com/louisasharamatyan/?hl=en ) I found out about Amenia’s official selection for the 95^th Oscar: ‘Aurora’s Sunrise’. Such a mesmerizing movie that Cher, the iconic singer, showed up at one Los Angeles screening to congratulate fellow Armenian sister, director Inna Shakyan.

This inspiring movie is based on the true life of Aurora Mardiganian who escaped the Armenian Genocide and who embarked on an amazing survival odyssey that took her to the heights of Hollywood stardom. It has been announced that Bars Media films, the newly established branch in Los Angeles of Armenia’s largest independent documentary production company was going to release this feature, a mix of animation and live action movies from the 20’s. Indeed this film is retracing the rise to stardom by Aurora who, when she reached the USA ended up filming ‘Auction of Souls’, a silent epic retracing her journey. Aurora became the face of one of the largest and most successful charity campaigns as one of the first women activists fighting against the injustice of war.  In her words, director Inna Sahakyan, always said “the Armenian genocide is the enduring pain of my nation. I was afraid of telling stories that only confirmed Armenians as a nation of victims with no historical agency and nothing but tragedy running through our veins. That is, until I stumbled upon an interview with Aurora Mardiganian. Through her words and expressions, an incredible but ordinary heroism shone she survived a genocide and refused to be a victim. This is the character I wanted to build in ‘Aurora’s Sunrise’: resilient, powerful, and heartwarming all at once”.

You will be moved beyond tears while watching this true story and how it hits a universal pain, whether you are Armenian or not. It’s a story about loss, pain, compassion, and about re-inventing your life despite all the struggles, the chaos, you are facing.

Since it’s premiering in the Festival of Annecy in 2022, ‘Aurora’s Sunrise’ has been selected in so many other festivals and won over 10 awards: ‘Movies that matter 2023 Audience Award’, ‘Geneva international film festival and forum on Human rights 2023’ and many others. This is a testament to the incredible “tour de force” and accomplishment from director Inna Shakyan. One can only watch this movie and be moved but it’s message of justice, of fighting for the truth, for freedom, for oneness. When watching ‘Aurora’s Sunrise’ you will feel that, indeed, there is an urgency to come together as one Humanity and find viable long-lasting solutions to end war, discrimination, prejudice, racism and conclude that, together, we can be One human family living in Peace and Harmony. War is for the idiots; Peace is for We the Freedom fighters.

‘Aurora’s Sunrise’ will indeed bring a sunrise for our soul and it will give us the hope we will end up living in oneness a life of excellence. A life where we feel protected and loved.

In Oneness let’s heal the World. Amen.