On the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Italian Ambassador to Canada, Alessandro Cattaneo, attended the ceremony organized by the Canadian Government at the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa, in the presence of Prime Minister Mark Carney and numerous political and institutional representatives of Canada.
Later that day, the Ambassador took part in an event organized by the Italian Cultural Institute in Toronto, in partnership with the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto, the Italian Embassy, the Miles Nadal JCC, and the Italian Contemporary Film Festival. Attended by a large audience, the evening centered on the screening of the documentary Liliana by director Ruggero Gabbai, dedicated to the life of Senator for Life Liliana Segre. Among those present were political authorities and Canadian institutional representatives, including Senator Toni Varrone and the Attorney General of Ontario, Michael Kerzner. In his opening remarks, Ambassador Alessandro Cattaneo underlined the profound significance of the commemoration in light of the global resurgence of antisemitism, stressing the need to further promote educational awareness of memory among younger generations.
The Toronto event marks the beginning of a series of events promoted by the Italian diplomatic-consular network in Canada, at the initiative of the Embassy, in connection with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On February 2, the documentary Liliana will be screened, with the support of the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver, at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. On February 3, the Italian Cultural Institute and the Consulate General of Italy in Montreal will present, at the Cinéma du Musée, the documentary Il respiro di Shlomo, directed by Ruggero Gabbai and based on the testimony of Shlomo Venezia. On the following day, the aforementioned documentary will also be presented by the Italian Embassy in Ottawa at the Ottawa Art Gallery. The screenings in Ottawa and Montreal will be followed by a conversation with Professor Mario Venezia, son of Shlomo Venezia, producer of the documentary, and President of the Shoah Museum Foundation in Rome, who will attend both events as guest of honour.
