Córdoba, Argentina: On April 22, 2026, Cine Arte Córdoba screened the award-winning documentary Aurora’s Sunrise. The event brought together members of the Córdoba community for an evening of thoughtful reflection and dialogue, marking the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Aurora’s Sunrise tells the brave story of the survival of a 14-year-old girl who lost everything during the Armenian Genocide. Her family was murdered before her eyes, she was sold into sexual slavery and harems, and yet she always managed to escape, survive, and maintain her humanity by telling her story to the world.

This film seamlessly blends footage from the Zoryan Institute’s original 1984 interview of Aurora Mardiganian with the brilliant animation of Bars Media and their German and Lithuanian co-producers, along with scenes from the 1919 silent film Auction of Souls, the very first film on genocide in Hollywood starring Aurora Mardiganian as herself.

The Zoryan Institute signed a partnership agreement with Bars Media in 2015 to bring Zoryan Institute’s oral history testimonies to life on the big screen through animation, to relay stories of genocide survivors to younger generations, and, more importantly, to help empower young women and girls around the world to follow in Aurora’s footsteps and represent their own communities in the face of persecution, violence and trauma.

This special screening was organized by the Colectividad Armenia de Córdoba and formed part of a wider series of commemorative activities held for Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, led by the community’s committee and youth group, whose work continues to centre on Armenian history and education.

This screening event was made possible through the coordination and leadership of Benjamin Hairabedian, a graduate of the Zoryan Institute’s 2025 Genocide and Human Rights University Program. He had this to say about the screening:

 “Art and storytelling hold a special place because they engage other senses, thereby reaching a wider audience.

Aurora’s Sunrise is an excellent documentary film that tells a story of survival in a very clear and engaging way. I choose films as a way for remembrance because it is collective and creates an atmosphere that raises awareness and sensitivity.”

Aurora Mardiganian is widely regarded as a universal hero, and we are grateful that our students around the world continue to share her story in meaningful, community-driven ways that carry her voice forward.

If you would similarly like to organize a screening of Aurora’s Sunrise for your local community, the Institute welcomes you to submit a request through our website here: https://zoryaninstitute.org/book-a-screening-of-auroras-sunrise/.