Souza Dantas
The Latin American Studies department at the University of Arizona, in collaboration with the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies and the Jewish History Museum, will present a free screening of “Dear Ambassador” at the UA Center for Creative Photography, 1030 N. Olive Road, on Sunday, April 22, at 2 p.m.
The film tells the story of Luiz Martins de Souza Dantas, who served as Brazilian ambassador to Paris during World War II. A largely unsung hero, he defied his own government’s orders by granting hundreds of unauthorized visas to Jews and others facing imminent capture and death. Consisting of reenactments, interviews with survivors, and archival footage, “Dear Ambassador” commemorates Brazil’s counterpart to Oskar Schindler and Raoul Wallenberg, who like them was posthumously awarded the title Righteous Among the Nations at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. The film, directed by Luiz Fernando Goulart, is in Portuguese with English subtitles.
A panel discussion will follow the screening, with Barry Kirschner, vice chair of the board of the JHM; Jadwiga Pieper-Mooney, UA professor of history; and David Graizbord, UA associate professor of Judaic studies. Steve Solot, president of the Latin American Training Center, will serve as moderator.
Free parking is available in the Park Avenue Garage. For more information, contact Clea Conlin at cconlin@email.arizona.edu or 626-7242.
