AllMovie

This is an informative but choppy and uneven documentary on the crucial years between 1945 and 1948 when Jews from Europe and North Africa were hoping, working, and praying for the establishment of an Israeli state. About three hundred hours of interviews with survivors of the Holocaust and many hours of film, newsreel, and archival clips are linked together. Throughout the documentary the difficulties faced in scattered Jewish communities -- whether refugee or not -- are brought forward. Unfortunately, excerpts from interviews are patched onto visual images that may or may not be related to what the individual was discussing. As a result, the information gleaned is very valuable but the flow of the narrative might be better if interviews were left intact. This film is a chronological sequel to the three directors' earlier effort, The 81st Blow.