Freedom begins with an act of defiance|Dec. 31, 2008|United States|137 Min.|R
Genre: Action;Drama;History;War
Description: In August 1941, Nazi Germany’s Einsatzgruppen carried out systematic killings of European Jews across Eastern Europe. Among the survivors were the Bielski brothers—Tuvia, Zus, Asael, and Aron, whose parents had been murdered by local collaborators under German orders. Fleeing to the Naliboki Forest, the brothers vowed to avenge their parents’ deaths.
They encountered other Jewish escapees in the forest and took them under their protection, forming a community. Tuvia killed the collaborator responsible for their parents’ deaths. Over the following year, they sheltered an increasing number of refugees, raiding nearby farms for supplies and relocating their camp whenever discovered.
The Bielski brothers launched raids against the Germans and their collaborators, but the casualties led Tuvia to reconsider this strategy due to the risk to the group. Tensions arose between Tuvia and Zus, with Zus eventually leaving to join a group of Soviet partisans while Tuvia remained as the camp’s leader. An agreement was reached where the partisans would protect the Jewish camp in exchange for supplies.
After enduring a harsh winter of sickness, starvation, mutiny attempts, and constant hiding, the group learned of an imminent German attack. The Soviets refused to assist, forcing the camp to evacuate as Luftwaffe Stukas bombed the area. Asael led a small delaying force against the German infantry, but only he and one survivor, Sofiya, managed to rejoin the main group. They faced a final challenge: crossing a seemingly impassable marsh at the forest’s edge.
Cast director: Edward Zwick
Cast actor: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos, Allan Corduner, Mark Feuerstein, Tomas Arana, Jodhi May, Kate Fahy, Iddo Goldberg
Original name: Defiance