I cannot let go of the historic thriller film, SEPTEMBER 5. It is one of my favorites for 2024 because I experienced every moment in real-time.
I was living in Jerusalem, Israel in 1972. I knew firsthand what the country felt as it sent its strong, empowered wrestling team to a country filled with nightmarish history. The ‘72 Olympics carried a tremendous weight since it was held in Munich, Germany. Safety and equality were on everyone’s mind. The phrase “Never Again” was entrenched deep within the silent souls of Holocaust survivors. Everyone held their breaths until they returned. Nothing went as planned.
I was very young when I made my ‘Aliyah’ to Israel. Every day, I felt the joy of life. The country projected a bold brightness and visions of a better tomorrow. Israelis laughed louder and cried with more sorrow than I had ever felt in my 22 years of living. They seemed to appreciate it all… the good and the bad. I felt their hands of friendship hold me to a higher standard. It was exhilarating.
I was in my apartment when everyone heard the devastating news about the terrorist attack. I remember the heated discussions about what should be done. I remember the optimism and hope that this would be resolved quickly and not with more violence, but there wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s mind that there would be retribution eventually. The Army was a mighty force. There were split seconds, the entire country thought the hostages would be released. This could never happen in a world where violent ideology rules.
The moment the universe learned the truth about what happened at the airport, so did every single man, woman, and child in Israel. It was instantaneous and forever etched deep within my heart. One of the mothers of the Olympic boys who were killed heard the news alongside everyone else. In my dreams, I can still hear the anguished wails of grief as she leaned out the windowsill within my neighborhood. She cried for hours, as did we. We marched in protest and in mourg. It was a unifying feeling that should have never happened again.
The film SEPTEMBER 5 brought all of this to the forefront. I was ‘whooshed’ back to a time I never wanted to revisit. It is a riveting, intense movie. I think my fellow ues, Eli and Aaron, said it all in their reviews. I have nothing more to add apart from knowing what it is like to live through a close encounter with terrorism. SEPTEMBER 5 is a triumph during several dark days of modern history. Don’t miss this extraordinary piece of cinema.
SEPTEMBER 5 is showing in theaters everywhere.
