The 13th Day: The True Story of Fatima is a beautiful, very moving rendition of Our Lady’s appearance to the three shepherd children Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta in Fatima, Portugal. Mary appeared to them on the 13th day of each month from May to October 1917. Breathtaking countryside shots, a well-selected, very talented cast, and a captivating plot based on the true story of the Marian apparitions in Fatima make this an exceptional work. The courage and faith of these children’s witnesses in the face of so many adults who vehemently refuted what the three saw and experienced are portrayed exceptionally well in this film.Though it’d been years since I’d read any books about the Fatima apparitions, much of what I’d read, heard, and gleaned from a variety of sources came back to me when watching this film. Plus, the dramatization of the story really drove home the incredible faith and grace these three children were given to stand firm and hold on to the Truth even when it meant they were abducted from their homes, thrown into prison, and threatened with death because they had the audacity to remain faithful to the Lord and Mary’s message.
The powerful intercession of Mary and her role as Mediatrix are clearly defined in this movie. State-of-the-art digital special effects are used to create the images described by the children, mainly in the memoirs of the oldest child Lucia Santos, and by the thousands of eye witnesses present on October 13, 1917 when the promised Miracle of the Sun occurred.
Even those who have read a number of books written on the Fatima apparitions and studied the prophetic messages that the Blessed Mother gave to these poor peasants I believe will enjoy and be pleased with how the story, setting, and people come across onscreen.
I highly recommend this film as being quite inspirational. It reminds us of God’s faithfulness, Mary’s power and tenderness, as well as Christ’s love in the midst of a culture of death, the experience of personal physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering, and the ongoing challenge of living out and proclaiming the Truth when challenged from all sides to stop doing so.
You can purchase this DVD here.
I wrote this review of The 13th Day for the Tiber River Blogger Review program. Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases. I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.
