UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A critically acclaimed documentary by a Penn State faculty member that tells the little-known story of World War II aviators who risked their lives and U.S. citizenships in 1948 to prevent what they viewed as a second Holocaust is set to be screened at India’s inaugural Library International Film Festival.
Boaz Dvir’s “A Wing and a Prayer” will be screened at 4 p.m. Oct. 23 in the “Pink City” of Jaipur. Taking place in one of India’s largest cities, the event is presented by the Jaipur International Film Festival.
“Boaz Dvir succeeds in bringing an obscure but signal period of history out of the shadows,” wrote J.R. Hafer in his review of the film for 20th Century Aviation Magazine.
The hourlong film has screened in several venues, including the American Jewish Historical Society in New York City and Columbia University Global Center in Paris. Also, more than 150 PBS stations across the United States, including all Top 30 markets, aired the film during primetime to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
In addition, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival will screen “A Wing and a Prayer” as an official selection at 6 p.m. Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) at the Sunrise Civic Center and again that weekend at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at Fort Lauderdale’s Savor Cinema.
Narrated by actor William Baldwin (“Backdraft,” “Squid and the Whale”), “A Wing and a Prayer” features firsthand accounts of daring escapes and heart-pounding action. Dvir secured exclusive interviews with the operation’s leaders, including mastermind Al Schwimmer, chief pilot Sam Lewis, and Christian crew leader Eddie Styrak. Their tell-all interviews provide rich detail about a group of Jews and Christians who helped reshape history, yet have been forgotten by history books.