Audience Member
This film truly shed light on the experiences of heroes during this time period and their stories. Personally, I was not aware of these occurrences before watching A Wing and a Prayer, and was truly captivated by the magnitude of these people's bravery. Whoever you may be, however old you are, or wherever you come from, this story will be admirable as well as motivating.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/23/23
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Audience Member
The filmmaker, Boaz Dvir, has done a great job of bringing out the adventurous tone of the story. All the interviewed people are passionate about the role they played in delivering the weapons and fighter planes. Also the parallax, albeit a bit too fast in motion, really brings to life the still pictures. A big part of this film is still images, and that's fair because the delivery to Israel was not recorded in video, for the major part. Also, Dvir's personal connection to the film (his grandfather), adds another layer of depth to the story. Even though the film is a documentary, it is also the story of a man trying to know more about his roots- where he came from, and I think this personal touch makes this film all the better.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/20/23
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Audience Member
This story is a pretty big one in terms of history. The punchline is it's about the prevention of a second holocaust. We're not talking the resurgence of Nazis here though, but rather the forces that were surrounding the newborn state of Israel which were bent on its destruction.
If you're not sure yet about whether this would count as a holocaust, look it up in the dictionary. It's there.
A Wing and a Prayer is a documentary that is all about timing. Any later on and the interviews might never have happened. The story has a surprising amount of dramatic heft, as hardship was felt at practically every stage of the operation. It was shocking to realize how little faith America actually had for the Jewish State at its creation. Hindsight tends to be 20/20 for such things, but think about it: no one had even seriously considered a Jewish State for nearly 2000 years, and seeing it happen now, in a location where Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt would be the neighbors, would lead to a little bit of doubt.
It seems to be though that at the deepest point of abandonment comes the strongest amount of support. This documentary tells the story of such support, as Adolphe "Al" Schwimmer and his team of pilots risk everything to travel overseas and support the Jewish State. Notably, among the Israeli soldiers who received these weapons was the director's grandfather. The irony is that some of these weapons were smuggled SS Axis weapons, with the Nazi symbol on them and everything. Hitler would've been rolling in his grave. He probably still is.
An hour long, the documentary seldom slows down, as the story takes us around the world from New York, to South America, to Casablanca, and finally to Israel itself. The research is extremely thorough, and this is evident from the number of participating interviewees, some of whom are thousands of miles apart. Their memories are quite sharp about these events from 60 years ago, and often in their words they continue to emit the patriotic energy that they must have held so long ago. The sad fact is that these pilots, at least the ones who returned to America, were not only condemned for their actions but placed on trial. It would take nearly 45 years of shame before President Clinton would pardon these brave souls.
Yet their story, while marginally available, has not received as extensive of a treatment until this documentary. And we are all better for it. It recounts an epitome of sacrifice and courage for what one believes is right, and it is made all the better by the efforts of its director. No history is ever complete, and it is not only important to fill the gaps, but to learn from these examples that will only continue to become visible to the public.
I highly recommend the film not only to people invested in Israel but to everyone who is looking to broaden their understanding of historical facts.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
Full Review
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