Saudi Aurora

Photographer, filmmaker and Aurora native, Brien Hollowell, is making waves at spring film festivals around the country with the release of his directorial debut titled, Saudi Aurora.

The independent drama short film premiered in February at the DaVinci International Film Festival in Los Angeles. From April 4-8, it will be shown under the African American-directed shorts category at the Phoenix Film Festival; and it is in contention for an award at the Chicago Horror Film Festival from May 4-5 at Chicago’s Facets Theater.

Inspired by the infamous 2012 mass shooting at an Aurora movie theater, Hollowell hopes his film will aid in the fight for safer gun laws, ultimately preventing the tragic violence that took place one fateful night over a decade ago.

When Tragedy Hits Home

On July 19, 2012, 24-year old gunman, James Holmes, entered through an exit door at the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora. The theater was packed full of Batman enthusiasts of all ages for a special midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. Dressed in tactical clothing, Holmes set off tear gas grenades and began firing indiscriminately into the audience with multiple high-powered firearms. Twelve people were killed, and 70 others were injured – 58 from gunfire.

Dubbed the “Century 16 Massacre,” that night changed the lives of many. Residents of Aurora were shaken by the news of the shooting, which occurred in the same parking lot as the popular Town Center of Aurora mall and retail district. The nation watched in horror and disbelief as news coverage detailed the heinous crime. For Hollowell, the event hit too close to home.

Hollowell was a Batman fan who was excited to attend the midnight premiere of the third and final film in the Batman saga. “My girlfriend and I were excited to see the movie and have a good time,” he recalls.

On the way to the theater an argument ensued, disrupting the couple’s plans. “I dropped her off at home. We were pretty upset, so I called my friend to see what he was doing,” says Hollowell, who went on to discover his passion for photography that very night. He met up with his friend at a local concert, and was attempting to forget the previous argument when he encountered a photographer at the show.

“Just out of the blue, I asked if I could hold his camera and take some pictures,” he says. Immediately, Hollowell fell in love with the art of photography.

After the concert, he contemplated attending a later viewing of The Dark Knight Rises without his then-girlfriend. “There was still one more showing of the film. I was debating with myself.” Instead, he decided to call it a night and go home. He had no idea what the unsuspecting midnight audience had endured in the dark theater he was coincidentally absent from.

The next morning, Hollowell woke up to his startled mother rushing into his room. “Mother looked like she just saw a ghost. She told me to turn on the news.”

He watched a news report about the shooting that occurred in the same theater he planned to attend.

“All I remember is my ears ringing, and I felt sick to my stomach. I was supposed to be there; in one of those seats. I decided to turn around and not go to the movies. That saved my life,” Hollowell affirms.

A Harrowing Scene

The Aurora Century 16 shooting became the deadliest shooting by a lone perpetrator in the history of Colorado, and the state’s second-deadliest mass shooting, following the devastating Columbine High School Massacre in 1999 which had the largest number of victims (82) in modern U.S. history. This number was later surpassed by the 107 victims that were killed or

injured in the 2016 Orlando Nightclub shooting, and eventually the 927 victims of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting.

Police arrested Holmes from his car just minutes after the attack as he sat behind the building. During the investigation, officers found that earlier in the day he’d rigged his apartment with homemade explosives and incendiary devices. The heroic Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad managed to defuse the devices without further incident or harm to unsuspecting neighbors.

Holmes confessed to the shooting but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The trial began nearly three years after the event on April 27, 2015, and on July 16 he was convicted of 24 counts of first-degree murder, 140 counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of possessing explosives.

Arapahoe County prosecutors sought the death penalty, but a deadlocked jury ultimately resulted in an August 26 sentencing giving Holmes 12 life sentences – one for every person he killed. He also received 3,318 years for the attempted murders of those he wounded, and for rigging his apartment with explosives.

Beauty from the Pain

The untimely argument between Hollowell and his former girlfriend detoured his night, but led to one of the greatest realizations of his life. His love for photography was born from the anger and frustration he experienced, and in the midst of one of the country’s most devastating acts of violence.

After the narrowly averted event and a concert where a stranger shared his camera, he jumped at every opportunity to use a camera.

“I would take pictures of my friends, weddings and family. You could see the talent was there for me,” he states.

He enrolled at the Art Institute of Denver to hone his newfound interest and learn skills that would refine his gift. While in art school, he participated in the Issachar Urban Leadership program, which provided an opportunity to take part in an apprenticeship while ministering the word of God to others. Hollowell discovered that this allowed him to be more connected to God, sharpening his God-given photography talent. After completing his studies, he went full-force to build his new career.

“I went out to New York; shot New York Fashion Week; and took advantage of what the city could offer,” he says.

Hollowell spent a year in New York City, and networked with several people in the film industry while living and working there. “I would drop film equipment off to film sets and get excited because I was on a famous set,” he laughs.

He recently hosted a photoshoot featuring Deion “Primetime” Sanders during his coaching tenure at University of Colorado Boulder. His photography has been featured in Yoga Journal, 5280 Magazine, Google, and Essence Magazine.

In December 2020, Hollowell’s first gallery exhibit “On for My City: A Photographic Memoir,” featured black and white photos of his Denver hometown.

“God has used photography as a vehicle that has taken me many places over the last 11 years. It has even landed me here as a filmmaker and writer,” he shares, detailing the ways in which his love of photography slowly evolved into a love for film production, directing and writing.

The Making of Saudi Aurora

Ever since the Aurora Century 16 shooting, Hollowell has had an urge to tell the story from his perspective. Throughout the years, he has interviewed and talked to people who were in the theater as well as families of the victims. Despite his efforts, he faced a great deal of opposition. “No one wanted to relive the trauma of that night,” he explains.

Feeling compelled to memorialize the story in his own way, he began writing a script about the tragic night. He studied the incident case files and referenced other mass shootings as a resource, drawing attention to the small details which could help people understand the severity of each scene.

“There is an emphasis on popcorn in the film,” he points out. “When I was talking to people about that night, the smell of popcorn was a prominent memory that came up for people. Some people can’t even eat popcorn today because of that night.”

Saudi Aurora started as a pilot for a television show before evolving into a feature film. Hollowell gathered a team of people and started filming in 2021, but had to end production due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“I was devastated,” he remembers. “I thought I would not be able to make this film.”

He persisted, and didn’t let the setback put an end to the fulfillment of his dream. He went back to the drawing board and changed a few things, shortening the run-time to 9 minutes – the duration of the massacre.

“I wanted my audience to be in the real-time of that night, and to feel every little emotion and tension that was felt.”

After tweaking and recasting the story, it was finally completed in time for its 2024 premiere.

“It’s very exciting. This is a full-circle moment for me. Just a year ago we were filming Saudi Aurora, and now exactly a year later it is in film festivals,” Hollowell admits with a cheerful smile.

Saudi Aurora is filmed with the shooter’s point of view, sending a message about how diabolical someone must be to commit such an act. It ends with a quote in red lettering, explaining the amount of mass shootings that take place in Colorado and emphasizing the lack of gun legislation. The film’s name is reflective of the increased crime that has spread throughout the city of Aurora; it is a moniker commonly used among the city’s own residents.

Hollowell hopes that Saudi Aurora will bring attention to the need for stricter gun laws in the United States. By shining a spotlight on a real event that affected countless lives, he desires to motivate lawmakers to take action to prevent mass shootings in every way possible.

Editor’s Note: To learn more about Saudi Aurora and Brien Hollowell, visit www.brienhollowell.com.