UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — DirecTV and Sling TV have made available Penn State assistant professor Boaz Dvir’s "A Wing and a Prayer," the critically acclaimed film that aired on PBS stations around the country the past two years.
Named Best Documentary at the 2016 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, "A Wing and a Prayer" 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.
“It speaks to the power of 'A Wing and a Prayer's' storytelling that it’s being offered on a platform usually reserved for more recent, bigger-budget releases,” said Joshua K. Carpenter, head of global acquisition and sales at Green Apple Entertainment. The film distribution company also released another award-winning Dvir documentary, "Jessie's Dad."
"A Wing and a Prayer," narrated by actor William Baldwin ("Backdraft," "Squid and the Whale"), 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.
The Miami Herald’s Ana Veciana-Suarez said the documentary “tells the story of how a few idealists effected change despite great obstacles.”
"A Wing and a Prayer" has screened in prestigious venues around the world, including the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan, the Library Film Festival in Jaipur, India, and the Columbia University Global Center in Paris.
In his review of the film for 20th Century Aviation Magazine, J.R. Hafer wrote, “Dvir succeeds in bringing an obscure but signal period of history out of the shadows.”