Official Premiere of “Operation Lights Out: The Story of CANAIRELIEF” Film

"Operation Lights Out" is an award-winning film by Angela Onuora which chronicles a forgotten story in Canadian history and the role played by unacknowledged Canadians in saving over one million lives during the Nigerian Civil War often referred to as the “Biafran War”.

"Operation Lights Out - The Story of Canairelief" is a powerful film that reveals the untold story of the Biafran Airlift - the largest non-governmental humanitarian war relief effort in history; and the incredible bravery and humanitarianism of Canadians who took part in it, which saved more than 1 million lives and led to the establishment of global humanitarian organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) aka Doctors Without Borders. The Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970 aka Biafran War) left over 2 million people dead, and women and children were subjected to unimaginable suffering and starvation. However, in the midst of this crisis, a group of selfless individuals came together to orchestrate an unprecedented relief effort that forever changed the landscape of humanitarian aid.

The untold role of exemplary Canadians is highlighted, as incredibly, Oxfam Canada's first major globally impactful outing soon after its founding was its collaboration with members of the Presbyterian Church in Canada and a private Toronto businessman (Jack Grant) to buy the first plane, for what became one of the most impactful non-profit airlines in history, and biggest contributor to the airlift, CANAIRELIEF! Of the $108,000 needed to buy the Super Constellation aircraft, The Presbyterian Church in Canada and Oxfam Canada put down $50,000.00 each, while Jack Grant wrote a personal check for $8,000.00. This pivotal moment helped save over 1 million lives as part of the Biafran Airlift; especially because these aircraft (20 tons capacity) were the largest aircraft in the airlift (responsible for feeding 200,000 people with every flight).

The Official Premiere of the film will take place on May 30, 2023 at 7:00 pm EDT at the Balsillie School of International Affairs at the CIGI Auditorium in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. This event will feature the official premiere followed by an interactive discussion between Angela and the Director of the School, as well as a subsequent Q&A segment with the audience. We would love to kindly invite all members of the public to this official premiere, please. There are limited seats available, and the Save The Date poster (with registration information) is attached as well.

This event is jointly hosted by the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) and the International Migration Research Centre (IMRC).

It is a FREE EVENT and open to the general public. Kindly register online here.

Please, see the event website for more details.

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Councillor Ayo Owodunni (City of Kitchener, Ontario) speaking about the Biafran Airlift Documentary “Operation Lights Out: The Story of CANAIRELIEF” by Angela Onuora

Available on May 30th, 2023.

Find out more at: www.operationlightsoutmovie.com

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