The Grand Illusion

At only 14 years old, Aurora lost everything during the horror of the Armenian genocide. Two years later, through luck and extraordinary courage, she escaped to New York, where her story became a media sensation. Starring as herself in Auction of Souls, an early Hollywood blockbuster, Aurora became the face of one of the largest charity campaigns in American history. With a blend of vivid animation, interviews with Aurora herself, and 18 minutes of surviving footage from her lost silent epic, AURORA'S SUNRISE revives a forgotten story of survival.

“Aurora’s Sunrise is far more than a bricolage documentary. It is a testament to survival… essential viewing. [Director] Sahakyan gives Aurora’s words and experiences new life and is an indelible piece of documentary work that demands to be seen and felt for all the real-life tragedy it explores.” Nadine Whitney, Alliance of Women Film Journalists

“CRITIC’S PICK! [Sahakyan] creates a reconstructed, yet still personal record of a long-unrecognized genocide. 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