Operation Wedding Explained

Operation Wedding is a documentary film about the Dymshits–Kuznetsov hijacking affair, an unsuccessful escape attempt from the Soviet Union by a group of young Soviet, mostly Jewish, who were denied exit visas. The documentary is told from a personal point of view of the filmmaker, Anat Zalmanson-Kuznetsov, daughter of group members: Eduard Kuznetsov and Sylva Zalmanson.^[1]

Releases

• Hebrew version release:

• English version release:

Russia, US, UK - December 2016Latvia LTV1 - October 2017Denmark February 2018 Danish Film Institute (documentary of the Month)Estonia March 2018 ETV2

• Russian dubbing broadcast: Current Time TV September 2017

Awards

• Documentary of the month – Danish Film Institute / Copenhagen, Denmark, February 2018
• Best Documentary, Audience Choice – Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema / Chicago, US 2017
• Best Feature Documentary – International Filmmaker Festival of NY / New York, NY, US 2018
• Best Writing – History Film Festival / Croatia 2018
• Young Jury award for Best Documentary - The Rasnov Histories and Film Festival / Romania 2018
• Important Documentary About a Socially Relevant Topic, Semi-Final - "Award This" Film Threat / Los Angeles, US 2019
• Opening film - Jewish Film & Culture Festival / Saarbrücken, Germany 2018
• Semi-Finalist - Courage Film Festival / Berlin, Germany 2019
• Award of Excellence - Cinema World Fest Awards Winter / Ottawa, Canada 2018
• Best Feature Film - Ogeechee International History Film Festival / Georgia, US 2018
• Best Documentary - Mindie, Miami Independent Film Festival / Florida, US 2018
• Semi Final – Hollywood Screenings Film Festival / California, US 2018
• Silver award - World Human Rights Awards / Indonesia 2018
• Jury Award for February Best Documentary - Eurasia International Film Festival / Moscow, Russia 2018
• Semi Final – Tribute Film Festival / Texas, US 2018
• Semi Final – Gold Movie Awards / London, UK 2018
• Audience Choice Award - Tirana International Documentary Film Festival / Tirana, Albania 2017
• Globe Award - Around Film Festival / Berlin, Germany 2017
• Merit Award - International Film Festival Spirituality Religion and Visionary / Bali Indonesia 2017
• Opening film - Israel Film Days / Riga, Latvia 2017
• Award of Recognition - Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards / California, US 2016

Reviews and articles

• Film Review at Film Threat
• BBC Jewish Hijack Plot That Changed The Soviet Union
• New Doc Details 1970 Refusenik-led Escape Attempt to Israel
• ‘Do You Know Your Parents Are Heroes?’ The Story Behind ‘Operation Wedding’
• FILMMAKER DOCUMENTS PARENTS’ ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE USSR
• Israeli filmmaker chronicles parents’ failed attempt to hijack a Soviet plane
• Film Festival Offers Documentaries and Features That Explore Many Different Sides of Israel
• The refusenik plot to fly to freedom
• ‘Operation Wedding’ and the plight of Soviet Jews

References

1. https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/russian-refusenik-and-her-filmmaker-daughter-recount-operation-wedding/ Soviet refusenik and her filmmaker daughter recount ‘Operation Wedding’