Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, with a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York and the sponsorship of Temple Sinai of Saratoga Springs, presents a special showing at Temple Sinai of the 1950 film Odette, followed by a panel discussion.

The film will be shown beginning at 6 pm on Sunday, April 12. A desert reception follows. The panel discussion begins at approximately 7:30 pm and will also be available on Zoom. The film will not be shown on Zoom.

-The Film-

Odette tells the true story of Odette Sansom (code name LISE), an ordinary-appearing woman who didn’t drink, smoke or curse – but became a courier and spy for the British in World War II.

Born in France, Sansom married a British citizen and was recruited by British Intelligence and dispatched into Nazi occupied France in 1942. She left behind three young children. After intense training in espionage, parachuting, morse code, and unarmed combat, Odette is secreted to the coast of France, one of many female courier/spies relaying encrypted messages, arranging safe houses, and coordinating with local resistance and intelligence networks.

Odette was compromised and arrested by the Nazis in April 1943. Tortured and kept in solitary confinement for most of two years, she did not break. After 14 fruitless interrogations, the Gestapo sentenced her to death and sent her to the feared concentration camp, Ravensbrück.

The end of the war saved her. Odette was released in April 1945 when the Soviets liberated the camp. In 1946, she received one of Britain’s highest medals of distinction for her wartime service, the first woman so honored. She offered evidence at the Nuremberg trials.

Sansom was married three times and many know her by her third married name, Odette Hallowes.

“Odette saw herself as a very ordinary woman who had the chance to see the best and worst of people,” says Phyllis Wang, Coordinator of SJCA.

“She wanted to symbolize those who did not return and honor the valor of the women with whom she served.”

The film is not currently available for streaming. The DVD may be purchased from Amazon Prime, new or used. Local libraries may have a copy.

-To Register-

Click below, or enter the URL address below in your browser:

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/4NCpu8c/Odette?source_id=7ef46665-2304-49ca-bace-8f1ff3e2820f&source_type=em&c=