“An Open Door” Premieres in South Africa

Invitation on the screening of the documentary film “An Open Door: Holocaust Haven in the Philippines” at the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre on 22 March 2018

PRETORIA 18 April 2017 — The Philippine Embassy in Pretoria has reported the success of its film-showing project of “An Open Door: Holocaust Haven in the Philippines” in Cape Town and Johannesburg, two biggest cities in South Africa. The film shows the dramatic story of rescue and friendship and how the Philippines was able to provide sanctuary to more than 1,300 Jews fleeing Nazi persecution in Europe in the 1930s.

The film showings were hosted by the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre on 22 March, and by the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre on 27 March. Both centres function under the South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation which is dedicated to creating a more caring and just society in which human rights and diversity are respected and valued. The Foundation raises awareness of genocide and teaches about the consequences of prejudice, racism, and the dangers of indifference, apathy and silence.

The film is produced, written, and directed by Noel Izon, an independent filmmaker who has been involved in creative and broadcast design and production for over four decades. With production credits encompassing over 250 films and videos, his international body of work has won him numerous awards.

The project was also made possible by the participation of Dr. Bonnie Harris, Associate Producer of the film as well as a lecturer in the Department of History of the San Diego State University. Dr. Harris‘s doctoral dissertation was on the Philippine open door policy for Jews fleeing Nazi Europe, a six-year journey that would take her to the Philippines, Israel, Europe and the United States tracing the survivors and descendants of those who found refuge in the Philippines. 

In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador to South Africa Joseph Gerard B. Angeles said that An Open Door is “a story of Filipinos and the Philippines.  It is a story of humanity in a world full of oppression; it is a story of friendship in a world full of hatred; it is a story of Filipinos keeping the light of hope amidst the darkness of destruction.” The screenings were attended by an audience of over 250 people. END

For more information, visit www.pretoriape.dfa.gov.ph.

The Open Door team: Philippine Ambassador to South Africa Joseph Gerard B. Angeles, Dr. Bonnie Harris, Honorary Consul General Steven Chaimowitz, Mrs. Kat Izon, and Mr. Noel Izon hold their meeting at the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria.

Audience on the screening of the documentary film “An Open Door: Holocaust Haven in the Philippines” at Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre on 27 March 2018