Free event to observe Holocaust Memorial Day in Aberdeen

26 January 2018

To mark Holocaust Memorial Day a free screening of Sarah’s Key (12A) will be shown at 1pm on Sunday 28 January at the Belmont Filmhouse, Aberdeen.

The film tells the story of a Paris-based American journalist investigating the Vichy government’s 1942 mass arrest and subsequent deportation of 13,000 Jewish citizens.

This free and ticketed screening will be preceded by a reception which will include readings of poetry, a letter from the underground archives of the Warsaw Ghetto, a performance of a Yiddish lullaby and music from 12noon in the Café Bar of the filmhouse.

The event has been organised by GREC (Grampian Racial Equality Commission), Four Pillars, the Polish Association Aberdeen and UNITE and supported by Aberdeen City Council. Representatives from the University of Silesia and the University of Kazimierz Wielki will also attend.

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett will welcome guests to the event and light a candle as a mark of remembrance to the millions of people who were killed or whose lives were changed forever during the Holocaust under Nazi Persecution and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

The theme of Holocaust Memorial Day 2018 is the power of words, whether spoken or written from individuals, corporations, community organisations or the state, and the impact they can have whether good or bad. It also explores how language has been used in the past, and how it is used in the present day.

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett said: “Holocaust Memorial Day is the time for us to remember the millions of people who have been killed or whose lives have been affected by genocide.

“We should also take time to learn from the experiences of survivors to ensure that we put an end to discrimination by working together to create a safer and better future for all.”

Advance booking is required for Sunday’s event. To book a place please click on http://www.belmontfilmhouse.com/showing/sarahs-key

Holocaust Memorial Day is commemorated on 27 January each year to coincide with the date of the liberation of the Auschwitz by the Red Army in 1945.

Please note that the Holocaust Memorial Day event in Aberdeen will be held on Sunday 28 January.