Recent events remind us that lies and disinformation can lead to hate and violence.
Early November is the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 pogrom against Jews in Nazi Germany, an opportune time to reflect on the destructive power of hate. The Waterloo Centre for German Studies, the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, and Hillel Waterloo invite you to a screening of the 2016 film “Denial” starring Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, and Timothy Spall. It tells the story of David Irving’s vexatious lawsuit against historian Deborah Lipstadt after Lipstadt correctly characterized him as a Holocaust denier. The film is a powerful reminder of the need to combat hate by defending historical truth.
The screening will take place on Wednesday, November 7th, 2018, at 7pm in ECH 1220, followed by a discussion led by Professors Alice Kuzniar and James Skidmore. It is expected that earlier that same day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be making a statement in the House of Commons apologizing for Canada’s refusal to accept German Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany in 1939. The film screening and discussion will be an opportunity for the campus community to acknowledge this apology and stand up against anti-Semitism and historical revisionism.