Download Film Operation Wedding

• Download Film Operation Wedding 360p
• Download Film Operation Wedding 2013

The film was co-produced in Israel and Latvia 2016
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Leningrad, 1970. A group of young Jewish dissidents who were denied exit visas, plot to hijack an empty plane and escape the USSR. 45 years later, filmmaker Anat Zalmanson-Kuznetsov reveals the compelling story of her parents, leaders of the group, 'heroes' in the West but 'terrorists' in Russia.
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It started as a fantasy, Operation Wedding, as outrageous as it was simple: Under the disguise of a trip to a local family wedding, the hijackers would buy every ticket on a small 12-seater plane, so there would be no passengers but them, no innocents in harm's way. The group's pilot, who once flew for the Red Army, would take over the controls and fly the 16 runaways into the sky, over the Soviet border, on to Sweden, bound for Israel.
They were caught in the airport, a few steps from boarding the plane, and tried for high treason. Among those arrested remained one woman to be on trial: Sylva Zalmanson, who receives 10 years in Gulag. Sylva's newlywed husband Edward Kuznetsov, receives death sentence; they never got on the plane.
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While the Soviet press writes 'the criminals received their punishment', tens of thousands of people in the free world demand 'Let My People Go!' and as the Iron Curtain opens a crack for 300,000 Soviets Jews wanting to flee, the group members are held back to pay the price of freedom for everyone else.
​
Anat and her mother Sylva, retrace the group's journey from a Soviet airport to a KGB prison.
Cigarettes and vodka fuel interviews with the parents filled with intelligence and humor. Archives, reenactments and interviews with KGB officers enhance this inspiring story of young Jews who imagined freedom and cracked the Iron Curtain.

Download Our FREE Guide. Your donation will used for submitting Operation Wedding to 5 international film festivals and you will receive the film's DVD to host a private screening of Operation Wedding in English, Russian or Hebrew! (.Private screening - up to 10 people. Public screenings are only available through the films distribution. Operation Wedding documentary, 62 minutes l Israel, Latvia 2016. Spoken Languages: English, Hebrew, Russian. Subtitles: English, Russian, Hebrew, Spanish, Latvian Leningrad, 1970. A group of young Soviet Jews who were denied exit visas, plots to 'hijack' an empty plane and escape the USSR.

• Director

  Cerberus, Couple Number 75, Incomprehensible, Down
• Producer

  Russian Oligarchs' Wives, Raiders, Putins' Games, Thieves by Law
• Producer

  Chronicles of the Last Temple (Best Documentary at National Film Festival 2014. Grand Prix at Vilnius International Film Festival 2013), My Mother's Farm (IDFA Silver Wolf competition 2008. Best Latvian Documentary 2009. Best film Art of Document, Warsaw 2010. Best documentary of NRK, 2009)
• Producer
• Editor

  The Chaplin's, Voices from Budka, A Trumpet in the Wadi, Faces of Love Festival
• Music composer
• Co-Producer

• Операция свадьба / מבצע חתונה / Operacion Boda
• Documentary
• 1 hour 2 minutes
• December 1, 2016
• 237,272 EUR
• Israel
• Israel, Latvia, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States
• English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish
• Digital
• 16:9
• Color
• Yes
• No

• Copenhagen
  Denmark
  February 20, 2018
  Danish premiere
  Documentary of the month
• Chicago
  United States
  October 28, 2017
  Illinois premiere
  Best Documentary Award
• New York, NY
  United States
  May 27, 2018
  Best Feature Documentary
• Tirana
  Albania
  May 10, 2017
  Albania premiere
  Audience Choice Award
• Rijeka
  Croatia
  September 6, 2018
  Croatia premiere
  Best Writing
• Statesboro
  Georgia
  February 25, 2018
  Gerogia premiere
  Jury Award for Best Feature Film
• Râșnov
  Romania
  July 29, 2018
  Romanian premiere
  Young Jury award for Best Documentary
• Iver
  United Kingdom
  July 22, 2019
• Tel Aviv
  Israel
  May 28, 2019
• Savannah
  United States
  February 12, 2019
  Savannah premiere
• Melbourne
  Australia
  November 25, 2018
  Australian premiere
  Finalist
• Sydney
  Australia
  November 18, 2018
• St. Paul, MN
  United States
  October 21, 2018
  Minnesota premiere
• Derby
  United Kingdom
  August 4, 2018
• New York
  United States
  July 8, 2018
  Queens premiere
• Berlin
  Germany
  June 28, 2018
  Berlin premiere
• Warsaw
  Poland
  May 27, 2018
  Poland premiere
• Copenhagen
  Denmark
  February 20, 2018
  Danish premiere
• Moscow
  Russian Federation
  February 1, 2018
  Best Documentary
• Abilene, Texas
  United States
• San Francisco
  United States
  February 11, 2018
  North California premiere
• Bali
  Indonesia
  February 4, 2018
  Indonesia
  Human Rights Silver Award
• Hong Kong
  China
  November 5, 2017
  China premiere
• New York
  United States
  October 22, 2017
• Ottawa
  Canada
  January 15, 2019
  Award of Excellence
• Riga
  Latvia
  October 19, 2017
  Latvian premiere
  Opening film
• Manaki Brothers International Cinematographers' Film Festival

  Bitola
  Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
  September 24, 2017
  Macedinian premiere
• Toronto
  Canada
  May 7, 2017
  Canada premiere
• Detroit
  United States
  May 14, 2017
  Detroit premiere
• Los Angeles
  United States
  Semi-Finalist
• Los Angeles
  United States
  March 11, 2018
  Semi-Finalist
• 
  United States
  March 22, 2018
• Carmel
  United States
  March 21, 2018
• Harrisburg
  United States
  May 14, 2017
  Harrisburg premiere
• Maine
  United States
  March 21, 2017
  Maine premiere
• Philadelphia
  United States
  March 11, 2017
  Philadelphia premiere
• Cleveland
  United States
  March 6, 2017
• Cleveland
  United States
  March 5, 2017
  Ohio premiere
• New York
  United States
  February 26, 2017
  New York premiere
• San Diego
  United States
  February 9, 2017
  West Coast Premiere
• Tel Aviv
  Israel
  December 25, 2016
• London
  United Kingdom
  January 14, 2018
• London
  United Kingdom
  December 26, 2016
  UK premiere
• Moscow, Saint Petersburg
  Russian Federation
  December 1, 2016
  World premiere / English version
• Jaffa
  Israel
  December 22, 2016
• Tel Aviv
  Israel
  December 12, 2016
• Haifa
  Israel
  December 5, 2016
  Haifa
• Tel Aviv
  Israel
  December 1, 2016
  Israel Premiere / Hebrew version
• Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards

  Los Angeles
  United States
  November 25, 2016
  Award of Recognition / Best story

Download Film Operation Wedding 360p

Anat studied filmmaking at the London Film School.
It's been a long-standing ambition for her to tell the story of her parents in the medium of film and Anat is now developing a script for a feature film based on her father's book 'Prison Diaries' and her documentary 'Operation Wedding'.

'I carry both my parents' names.
Growing up, everybody knew about this event, but over the years it started to fade away from the public's collective memory. Though there are many films trying to describe this fascinating story, they only give a short 5 minute description and the only full length films about this event were made in Russia 2010. Those films are calling the group members 'terrorists' and they re-write history – false imaginary history, or as my father calls it 'documentary fairytales'.
I found rare archives, interviewed former KGB key members that claimed that: '…There was no problem of Jewish immigration in the USSR. Only about 20 people in the whole USSR were denied exit visa.' (Philipp Boblov, former KGB deputy chairmen)

I realized that the faith of public memory is on my shoulders. This is an inspiring story that remind us all that civilians have power and even one person can change history, but would have to be willing to pay the price…'

Download Our FREE Guide. Your donation will used for submitting Operation Wedding to 5 international film festivals and you will receive the film's DVD to host a private screening of Operation Wedding in English, Russian or Hebrew! (.Private screening - up to 10 people. Public screenings are only available through the films distribution. Operation Wedding documentary, 62 minutes l Israel, Latvia 2016. Spoken Languages: English, Hebrew, Russian. Subtitles: English, Russian, Hebrew, Spanish, Latvian Leningrad, 1970. A group of young Soviet Jews who were denied exit visas, plots to 'hijack' an empty plane and escape the USSR.

• Director

  Cerberus, Couple Number 75, Incomprehensible, Down
• Producer

  Russian Oligarchs' Wives, Raiders, Putins' Games, Thieves by Law
• Producer

  Chronicles of the Last Temple (Best Documentary at National Film Festival 2014. Grand Prix at Vilnius International Film Festival 2013), My Mother's Farm (IDFA Silver Wolf competition 2008. Best Latvian Documentary 2009. Best film Art of Document, Warsaw 2010. Best documentary of NRK, 2009)
• Producer
• Editor

  The Chaplin's, Voices from Budka, A Trumpet in the Wadi, Faces of Love Festival
• Music composer
• Co-Producer

• Операция свадьба / מבצע חתונה / Operacion Boda
• Documentary
• 1 hour 2 minutes
• December 1, 2016
• 237,272 EUR
• Israel
• Israel, Latvia, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States
• English, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish
• Digital
• 16:9
• Color
• Yes
• No

• Copenhagen
  Denmark
  February 20, 2018
  Danish premiere
  Documentary of the month
• Chicago
  United States
  October 28, 2017
  Illinois premiere
  Best Documentary Award
• New York, NY
  United States
  May 27, 2018
  Best Feature Documentary
• Tirana
  Albania
  May 10, 2017
  Albania premiere
  Audience Choice Award
• Rijeka
  Croatia
  September 6, 2018
  Croatia premiere
  Best Writing
• Statesboro
  Georgia
  February 25, 2018
  Gerogia premiere
  Jury Award for Best Feature Film
• Râșnov
  Romania
  July 29, 2018
  Romanian premiere
  Young Jury award for Best Documentary
• Iver
  United Kingdom
  July 22, 2019
• Tel Aviv
  Israel
  May 28, 2019
• Savannah
  United States
  February 12, 2019
  Savannah premiere
• Melbourne
  Australia
  November 25, 2018
  Australian premiere
  Finalist
• Sydney
  Australia
  November 18, 2018
• St. Paul, MN
  United States
  October 21, 2018
  Minnesota premiere
• Derby
  United Kingdom
  August 4, 2018
• New York
  United States
  July 8, 2018
  Queens premiere
• Berlin
  Germany
  June 28, 2018
  Berlin premiere
• Warsaw
  Poland
  May 27, 2018
  Poland premiere
• Copenhagen
  Denmark
  February 20, 2018
  Danish premiere
• Moscow
  Russian Federation
  February 1, 2018
  Best Documentary
• Abilene, Texas
  United States
• San Francisco
  United States
  February 11, 2018
  North California premiere
• Bali
  Indonesia
  February 4, 2018
  Indonesia
  Human Rights Silver Award
• Hong Kong
  China
  November 5, 2017
  China premiere
• New York
  United States
  October 22, 2017
• Ottawa
  Canada
  January 15, 2019
  Award of Excellence
• Riga
  Latvia
  October 19, 2017
  Latvian premiere
  Opening film
• Manaki Brothers International Cinematographers' Film Festival

  Bitola
  Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
  September 24, 2017
  Macedinian premiere
• Toronto
  Canada
  May 7, 2017
  Canada premiere
• Detroit
  United States
  May 14, 2017
  Detroit premiere
• Los Angeles
  United States
  Semi-Finalist
• Los Angeles
  United States
  March 11, 2018
  Semi-Finalist
• 
  United States
  March 22, 2018
• Carmel
  United States
  March 21, 2018
• Harrisburg
  United States
  May 14, 2017
  Harrisburg premiere
• Maine
  United States
  March 21, 2017
  Maine premiere
• Philadelphia
  United States
  March 11, 2017
  Philadelphia premiere
• Cleveland
  United States
  March 6, 2017
• Cleveland
  United States
  March 5, 2017
  Ohio premiere
• New York
  United States
  February 26, 2017
  New York premiere
• San Diego
  United States
  February 9, 2017
  West Coast Premiere
• Tel Aviv
  Israel
  December 25, 2016
• London
  United Kingdom
  January 14, 2018
• London
  United Kingdom
  December 26, 2016
  UK premiere
• Moscow, Saint Petersburg
  Russian Federation
  December 1, 2016
  World premiere / English version
• Jaffa
  Israel
  December 22, 2016
• Tel Aviv
  Israel
  December 12, 2016
• Haifa
  Israel
  December 5, 2016
  Haifa
• Tel Aviv
  Israel
  December 1, 2016
  Israel Premiere / Hebrew version
• Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards

  Los Angeles
  United States
  November 25, 2016
  Award of Recognition / Best story

Download Film Operation Wedding 360p

Anat studied filmmaking at the London Film School.
It's been a long-standing ambition for her to tell the story of her parents in the medium of film and Anat is now developing a script for a feature film based on her father's book 'Prison Diaries' and her documentary 'Operation Wedding'.

'I carry both my parents' names.
Growing up, everybody knew about this event, but over the years it started to fade away from the public's collective memory. Though there are many films trying to describe this fascinating story, they only give a short 5 minute description and the only full length films about this event were made in Russia 2010. Those films are calling the group members 'terrorists' and they re-write history – false imaginary history, or as my father calls it 'documentary fairytales'.
I found rare archives, interviewed former KGB key members that claimed that: '…There was no problem of Jewish immigration in the USSR. Only about 20 people in the whole USSR were denied exit visa.' (Philipp Boblov, former KGB deputy chairmen)

I realized that the faith of public memory is on my shoulders. This is an inspiring story that remind us all that civilians have power and even one person can change history, but would have to be willing to pay the price…'

Download Film Operation Wedding 2013

• 'For all media coverage about the upcoming film so far, visit:'

• 'It is not a just-the-facts documentary, as it wears its heart on its sleeve, and the emotional pull will leave the audience breathless.'

  Bobby LePire, Film Threat

• 'As a filmmaker, Zalmanson-Kuznetsov's approach is understandably straight forward, but she shows a bit of style nonetheless, including some subtly clever transitions. Very highly recommended.' '

  j.b. spins NY

• 'In the Gulag Museum, Anat collapses over the rough conditions, while Sylva shows how she danced during her farm trips. Without words or music, one of the most touching dance scenes on film long seen.'

  filmz.dk

• 'Watching this film gives us the sense of looking through a magical, miraculous window on a time the likes of which we may never see again. We can, however, experience it through Anat Zalmanson-Kuznetsov's powerful, emotional, exhilarating film and come away filled with both satisfaction and hope.'

  The Jewish Press

• 'The film is emotionally strong first of all because of the mother whereas the charismatic father is the one who comes up with the sarchastic analytical comments, while he is pouring another good glass of vodka'

  Film Kommen Taren

• 'Anat Zalmanson's raison d'être in making this film was not only to counter the 'alternative facts' of this episode, emanating from Putin's regime, but also to reclaim Jewish history for today's generation. In her hour-long film, she has succeeded exceedingly well.'

  The Jewish Chronicle

• 'It is safe to say that Anat Zalmanson-Kuznetsov has created the definitive tale of the Leningrad hijacking, and in the process, humanized the larger-than-life characters behind it. It's hard not to pepper descriptions of the film with superlatives like heroic and courageous. It's equally hard to stay dry-eyed throughout.'

  Tablet

• 'Operation Wedding is worthy evidence of epoch, not only for viewers who directly remembers a period but perhaps even more for those who don't have any concrete personal experiences about it.'

  Radio-Television of Serbia