Sylvia: Tracing Blood

Sylvia Raphael was born in South Africa in 1937 to a Christian mother and Jewish father. Attractive, intelligent, charismatic and intrepid, she was fiercely devoted to Israel and became one of Mossad’s most effective and devastating agents.

The 60-minute documentary, Sylvia: Tracing Blood tells the story of this extraordinary woman using historical footage and contemporary interviews. With commentary provided by her brother, widowed husband and others who knew her well, we get an insight into the mind and personality of a super agent who could go from high society glamour to seedy, dangerous ghettos where she would ruthlessly discharge her duties.

Such was her stature, she was assigned to find the slayers of the eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and came to her downfall when she was implicated in the Lillehammer Affair.

The narrative traverses continents, time spans and story elements with the images ranging from serene landscapes to brutally confronting newsreel clips.

Startling and compelling. (RB)

★★★1/2

Screening at the Jewish Film Festival, Event Bondi and Hayden Orpheum Cremorne. Tickets & info: www.jiff.com.au

BY RITA BRATOVICH