Elle s'appelait Sarah(Sarah's Key)

"Elle s'appelait Sarah(Sarah's Key)"(2010/France)
Synopsis
One of the darkest moments in French history occurred in 1942 Paris when French officials rounded up over 10,000 Jews and placed them in local camps. Eventually over 8,000 were sent off to German concentration camps. As 10-year old Sarah and her family are being arrested, she hides her younger brother in a closet. After realizing she will not be allowed to go home, Sarah does whatever she can to get back to her brother. In 2009, a journalist named Julia is on assignment to write a story on the deported Jews in 1942. When she moves into her father-in-law's childhood apartment, she realizes it once belonged to the Strazynski family, and their daughter Sarah.

The movie started with two different stories simultaneously.
One is the story of an American journalist living in Paris today.  Another is the story of a 10 year old girl named Sarah who lives in Paris in the past.
At first, I could not understand the relation of the two characters. But an American journalist, Julia traced the history of the persecution of Jews in France and I understood what the connection was all about.
Sarah had been round-up to a velodrome(Vel' d'Hiv) with her parents and she escaped there after a great struggle to help  her younger brother.
The success of her escape was because of the miracle of two things. First, a Nazi soldier with a conscience helped her escape. Second, a French elderly couple concealed her and after that, they became her foster parents. (In France during that time nobody could help Jews because of the negative rumors surrounding them and if would try to help the jews, they will be punished.)
Jewish survivors who have been exposed to the truth of the persecution of the Jews today, I think they have experienced a miracle just like Sarah. After the war,  they must have lived a life of psychological damage just like Sarah.
Julia searched for the truth about Sarah's life after the war because of her mission as a journalist. But the result of the search was disappointing for the people surrounding Julia and Sarah. Was knowing the truth the right thing to do?  Julia was suffering, but she had taken the pains and became stronger after learning of Sarah's life.
If I were Julia, I would do same thing like her but I have no strength like her.
Following the history, we faced a dark and tragic past of war. But history always repeats itself.
Modern world is unstable politically and economically and wars will always there waiting to erupt,  so I think we need a good story like this movie to always remind us of the past.
Touched by this movie, "The Pianist" ; Roman Polanski's masterpiece reminded me.
I highly recommend this movie!

My rating:★★★★