JIFF: Tzadik

“Kiselyov lead us with strength and knowledge. The film is moving and highlights his modesty." - Leon Rubin, Holocaust survivor who participated in the journey with Kiselyov aged 7

In 1942, Red Army officer Nikolai Kiselyov receives orders to evacuate over 200 Jewish women, children, and men facing brutality and death in Nazi-occupied Belarus. Together with several partisans, Nikolai must lead the exhausted and terrified survivors of the Dolginov Ghetto, deeply scarred by the horrors they have witnessed, 1500 kilometres along forest paths to safety. Tzadik is a sprawling historical epic, based on events that took place from August through October 1942 and presents the bravery of Jewish Partisans in an unprecedented way.

After his heroic efforts, Nikolai Kiselyov was posthumously recognized as one of the 'Righteous Among the Nations'.

Rating

Unclass15

Duration

163 min

Language

Russian (English subtitles)

Director

Sergey Ursulyak