On the occasion of the 2026 Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorations, the Italian Cultural Institute in Pretoria, together with the Holocaust Centres of Cape Town and Johannesburg, and in collaboration with the Consulate of Italy in Cape Town, will screen the film L’ombra del giorno (The shadow of the day), directed in 2022 by Giuseppe Piccioni.
The film tells the love story of Luciano (Riccardo Scamarcio), the owner of a restaurant in Ascoli Piceno, and Anna (Benedetta Porcaroli), a waitress. Set in 1938, one year before the outbreak of the Second World War, the story unfolds in Fascist Italy, where tensions and antisemitism are on the rise. The film explores how Anna’s arrival disrupts Luciano’s certainties — he is a sympathiser of the regime, though not a fanatic—revealing a secret that will put both of them in danger, in a narrative that echoes classic war cinema.
Cape Town – 3 February, 18h00– The Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Centre – 88 Hatfield St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001
Johannesburg – 8 February, 15h00– The Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre – 1 Duncombe Rd, Forest Town, Johannesburg, 2193
Both screenings will be preceded by light refreshments.
FOR BOOKINGS IN CAPE TOWN, please write to: CAPE TOWN HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDE CENTRE – admin@holocaust.org.za
FOR BOOKINGS IN JOHANNESBURG, please write to: Vix Appelbaum – vix@jhbholocaust.co.za