YEREVAN HOSTED "PRIOR TO THE AUCTION OF SOULS" GRAPHIC NOVEL PRESENTATION
PanArmenian News
April 20 2009
Armenia
Yerevan hosted a presentation of "Prior to the Auction of Souls"
graphic novel, revealing the young girl’s survival story and giving
detailed account of the terrible experiences she endured during the
Armenian Genocide.
In 1918, at Metro Goldwin Mayer studio, director Oscar Apfel made
a silent film "Auction of Souls", which actually became the first
genocide movie ever made.
The silent movie was based on the published memoirs of a survivor. More
than 10.000 Armenian residents of Southern California, including 200
deported children, participated in the scenes. The film is especially
remarkable due to the fact that Arshaluys Mardiganian was the author
of the scenario as well as played the leading role.
Tigran Mangasaryan’s graphic novel is simply another adaptation
of these same memoirs, but did not find a publisher until the 90th
anniversary of the movie, in 2008, where it was published in Armenia
itself.
According to publishing sponsor Sosi Kevonyan, the book was published
in English to rise Armenian Genocide awareness among foreign readers.