The special program of the first FRESCO Annual Festival of Modern Art and Spiritual and Moral Films entitled “Monument of Truth” will kick off at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute on June 23 at 11:00. The special program is dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

Among the participants will be Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan. The official speeches will be followed by the screening of the Hollywood film “Auction of Souls” (second name: “Aurora”), which is the first film devoted to the Armenian Genocide.

Director Oscar Apfel’s film was first shown at Plaza Hotel in New York on February 16, 1919. It is based on the memoir entitled “Ravished Armenia” by Armenian Genocide eyewitness Arshalouys Mardiganian, who is the main character. Only 24 minutes of the film have been preserved and have been granted to the festival’s organizers by the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute upon the consent of the copyright owners.

The film screening will be followed by a meeting-discussion with one of the festival’s special guests, Father Hovhannes (Giovanni Guaita). The priest of the Russian Orthodox Church is an Italian historian, theologian and writer who has written three books about the Armenians, including the book “Scream from Ararat”, which was released in Moscow in 2005. He is also the author of the book “Armin Wagner and the Armenian Genocide”.

During the meeting, Giovanni Guaita will not only talk about his books devoted to the Armenians, but will also talk about the new book that he’s working on.

The meeting will be followed by the screening of the 52-minute Italian film entitled “Auschwitz is My Teacher”. Let us inform that the special program will include the screenings of 7 films about the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust produced in Israel, Armenia and Italy, and only two of the films are included in the competition program.