We are launching a new invitation to the film, a special screening of the Romanian documentary “Spioni de ocazie” (2021), which tells the story of civilian spies from the Second World War.
We are glad to have the director Oana Bujgoi Giurgiu with us, who will answer the audience’s questions in a Q&A session, after watching the film.
Based on real facts and testimonies, the film recreates the story of some unusual espionage that marked the outbreak of World War II: the recruitment of young Zionists from Palestine, sent back to their countries of origin in Eastern Europe, including Romania, to obtain information about Germans. These are the occasional spies. The documentary premiered at TIFF 2021 and won the Special Jury Mention in the Romanian Competition at the Astra Film Festival Sibiu 2021.
In the spring of 1944, the fate of many Allied pilots, especially Americans, who fell in Eastern Europe was unknown. It was not known if they were executed or taken prisoner. In order to track down the prisoners and organize a potential escape, a field task force was needed, which British Intelligence did not have. However, the MI9 office in Cairo came up with a surprising proposal – to find agents among young Zionists who had emigrated from these countries to Palestine before the war. Many young people wanted to return to their homelands and fight the Germans, but Palestine was under British administration, and this was only possible if they were accepted into the British army. Mossad, who was in charge of extracting Jews from Europe, recruited them, giving them additional tasks. Occasional spies found themselves trapped between war, politics, and personal life.
“Spioni de ocazie” was part of the Cine Fest Miskolc (Hungary) 2021 and New Jersey Jewish Film Festival 2022 selection.
The screening is part of a series of 9 warm-up screenings ahead of the 9th edition of the Ceau, Cinema! Festival, which will take place between July 14-17 in Timișoara, being co-founded by the Cultural Film and Big Screen Associations.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.iabilet.ro and in person at the AMBASADA bar within FABER, and the price of a ticket is 15 lei.
Spioni de ocazie is produced by LIBRA Film and distributed by Transilvania Film.
