Aurora Mardiganian
Acting
Biography
Aurora (Arshaluys) Mardiganian (January 12, 1901 – February 6, 1994) was an Armenian-American author, actress, and a survivor of the Armenian genocide. [biography (excerpted) from Wikipedia]
Known For
The story of how Aurora Mardiganian (1901-94), a survivor of the Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire (1915-17), became a Hollywood silent film star.
Aurora's Sunrise
A Hollywood biographical film about a survivor's experience of the Armenian Genocide. Arshaluys (Aurora) Mardiganian plays herself in the film which is based on her published memoirs. It is thought to be the first film about made about genocide. All known complete copies of the film have been lost. A restored and edited 24-minute segment of the historic motion picture was released in 2009 by the Armenian Genocide Resource Center of Northern California. It is based on a rare surviving reel of film edited in Soviet Armenia.