Description
Aurora Mardiganian was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. The diary of her experiences was published in the US media in 1918 under the title "Ravished Armenia" or "Auction of Souls." In the same year a silent movie "Auction of Souls" made for charitable purposes appeared on the screens, where Aurora played herself and became the first Armenian movie star in the first movie showing the horrible scenes of mass atrocities and genocide.
The story of the movie and it's tragic and beautiful star was covered in all the major papers not only in the US, but also European states, Great Britain, Cuba, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, even Japan. However, in the late 1920s, the book and the movie "Auction of Souls" just dropped off the public's radar.
