Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh

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Audience Member A compelling documentary that told the story of Hannah Senesh, a young, idealistic Jewish woman and poet who returns to Hungary from Israel in the final days of WWII, to help her people escape from Hitler's Final Solution. In many ways, her story was similar to many others. "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days" comes to mind, but each story is unique and bears telling. In this, the filmmakers wove archival footage with historical still photos and live action recreations of the events in her courageous, but somehow foolhardy, life. The tale it tells is fairly accurate because Hannah was a dedicated diarist who left a detailed record of how she wound up where she did. The tragedy, for me, is that she sacrificed her own young life; but in doing so she caused her mother to come to the attention of the authorities. That selfless action may have resulted in her mother surviving when so many others were shipped off to the death camps. I found this very moving, although it really had nothing new to say, except to remind us that there were many heroes of that period whose stories have yet to be told. I am glad I now know hers. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review walter m "Blessed Is the Match" is a partially rewarding documentary about the life and times of Hannah Senesh who was raised in Budapest before emigrating to Palestine, like many other Jews in the years before World War II. It is there that she volunteers for a military mission to parachute behind enemy lines where she died at the age of 22. Even though the objectives of her mission were not achieved, the documentary points out that it was at least successful in giving hope to Hungarian Jews through a growing sense of Jewish nationalism, just as the Holocaust was becoming reality there. It is curious that the most pertinent information comes from background material. At the same time, I don't think we really get to know Hannah, with the emotional highlights coming from the testimony of survivors. Since a lot of the documentary is made up of dramatizations, it stands to reason that a more effective approach in telling the story of her life might have been a feature film. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting portrait of an inspired personality. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member lovely movie a must see movie Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Not seen by too many viewers, should have received more recognition. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Yes, surprise yet another SLIFF (http://www.cinemastlouis.org/fest) screening... This was AMAZING. A modern day Joan of Arc story. At the young age of 22 (and younger) to have such talent, such resolve, such kind courage. It was an exceptional documentary on the Hungarian poet and diarist who became a paratrooper, and resistance fighter. I'm so glad I saw it and know about this heroine I had never before heard of. It's not just the story that is exceptional, but the documentary mixed up historical footage, family photos/records, and re-enactments to give a 3 dimensional look at her struggle and her strength. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh

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