Escape to the Sun

1972 film

31 October 1972 (1972-10-31) (U.S.)

Running time

118 minutes

Escape to the Sun is a 1972 drama film written and directed by Menahem Golan and starring Laurence Harvey, Josephine Chaplin, John Ireland, Lila Kedrova and Jack Hawkins.^[1] The film was a co-production between Israel, France and West Germany.

Plot

A group of people wish to flee the Soviet Union to escape anti-semitism and political repression, but their activities soon attract the attention of the KGB secret police.

Cast

Laurence Harvey – Major Kirsalov
Josephine Chaplin – Nina Kaplan
John Ireland – Jacob Kaplan
Lila Kedrova – Sarah Kaplan
Jack Hawkins – Baburin
Yehuda Barkan – Yasha Bazarov
Yehuda Efroni – Romek
Peter Capell – Professor Abramowiz

Production

The film is based on a short story by author Uri Dan, and in turn based loosely on the events of the June 1970 Dymshits–Kuznetsov hijacking affair, in which a group of mostly Jews and two non-Jews unsuccessfully attempted to steal a Soviet airplane and fly it to freedom.

References

^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | HABRICHA EL HASHEMESH (1972)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 2009-04-16. Archived from the original on 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2012-10-29.