Portrait #4 – Ornina decided to settle in Iraq after visiting the country for the first time with Gishru in 2023, and then again in 2024. She wanted to build on this memorable experience by living, at least for a while, in the land of her ancestors. Her return also makes a nod to history: her grandparents were Assyrians born in Iraq, who migrated to Syria at the time of the Semele massacre in 1933. That’s where her parents were born and lived before they emigrated to Canada. The story has come full circle!
The Return launches its series of video portraits! Because each returnee has their own story, their own cultural background and their own ambitions, it’s important to understand each person’s journey and perhaps draw inspiration from them to build the future of our communities.
This series of portraits was made possible thanks to the financial support of l’Oeuvre d’Orient.
