A Rózsa énekei

I have read volumes about the Third Reich and what it did across Europe. But I've also read about resistance to it. And yet I'd never learned about Imre Rose. After watching Andor Szilagyi's magnificent "A Rozsa enekei" ("Rose's Songs" in English), I know about him.

Rose was a Hungarian-Jewish opera singer. When the Nazis invaded Hungary, he locked himself in the top floor of a house overlooking Budapest. Every week, he would sing, and the other Jewish families hiding out in the house would gather around and listen. His songs gave them hope in the midst of the terror surrounding them.

I might compare this film to "Life is Beautiful", the way that the central character seeks to give people hope in a seemingly hopeless situation (although I will assert that "LIB" is better). But beyond that, this one also works as a straightforward look at the Nazi occupation of Hungary. I definitely recommend it, and I hope that people start paying more attention to cinema from the Magyar Republic; other good movies from there include "The Revolt of Job" and "Sunshine".

Starring Franco Castellano, Ildiko Bansagi, Djoko Rosic, Maia Morgenstern and David Zum.