• Discussant: Inna Sahakyan (director).
• In Armenian, English, Turkish and German with English subtitles.
• 96 minutes.
• Sponsor: The Armenian Studies Program.

Based on a true story, “Aurora’s Sunrise” by Armenian director Inna Sahakyan tells the story of Aurora (Arshaluys) Mardiganian, a 14-year-old Armenian Genocide survivor who managed to escape to the United States through sheer luck and extraordinary courage. Her story became a media sensation, and she starred as herself in “Auction of Souls,” a silent Hollywood blockbuster from 1919 on the Armenian Genocide. Aurora soon 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.

CineCulture is a film series provided as a service to Fresno State campus students, faculty and staff, and the broader community. CineCulture is also offered as a three-unit academic course (MCJ 179) in the Media, Communications and Journalism Department. The CineCulture Club promotes cultural awareness through film and post-screening discussions.

Screenings are held at 5:30 p.m. on Fridays in the Peters Education Center Auditorium (west of Save-Mart Center in the Student Recreation Center Building). All films screened on campus are free and open to the public. Parking is free (not enforced) after 4 p.m. on Fridays.