TORONTO — As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepares to deliver a formal apology in the House of Commons on Thursday for the internment of Italian Canadians during the Second World War, multicultural broadcaster TLN Media Group today announced its newly completed original documentary, Internment: The Untold Stories, will premiere on TLN TV this weekend.
The English version of the documentary will air without commercial interruption on TLN TV on Friday, May 28 at 8 p.m. ET and have an encore broadcast on Sunday, May 30 at 8 p.m. ET.
The Italian documentary Il Confino: Una Storia Mai Conclusa will premiere on TLN Media Group’s all-Italian channel Mediaset Italia on Saturday, May 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
“This moving story exposes the heartbreak and humiliation associated with a little-known chapter in Canadian history that has left a deep scar on the Italian Canadian community,” reads TLN Media Group’s press release.
During the Second World War, 31,000 Italian Canadians were officially designated as enemy aliens by the federal government, and about 600 were taken from their homes and held in prisons and remote camps, most notably in Petawawa, Ont., explains TLN’s press release.
“For many, these memories have been hidden for reasons of shame, fear, humiliation and embarrassment. As this generation is passing on, the stories are now coming to light as family members recount the experiences of their fathers and grandfathers for the very first time. After 81 years of discrimination, humiliation and suffering in silence, the healing can now begin,” continues the release.
“As Canada’s most influential multicultural media company and the leading media source for Italian Canadians for nearly four decades, TLN Media Group takes great pride in producing culturally significant Made In Canada programs that keep the important conversations going to ensure that the lessons learned are never forgotten,” says the broadcaster.
The documentary was produced in collaboration with Jaime Escallon Buraglia of Lulo Films. Majority financing was provided by TLN Media Group with additional support from Canada Media Fund.
