Movie Review: “Refusenik”

The movie “Refusenik” created by Laura Bialis in 2007 illustrates the struggles of Jews in the Soviet Union trying to leave their country in the 1960s and 70s. By definition, Refusenik means “a person who refuses to follow orders or obey the law, especially as a protest.” But, in the case of the Refusenik event in the Soviet Union, the definition is “a person in the former Soviet Union who was refused permission to emigrate, in particular, a Jewish person forbidden to emigrate to Israel.” Essentially, the movie interviews multiple different Refuseniks who had compelling stories about their experiences. The movie was long but informative, as it gave a good summary of every perspective of the time period. For example, it explained what it was like in the Soviet Union as a Refusenik and the constant attempts to flee, and also described what it was like in a place like Venice, Italy, once a Refusenik made it out. Overall, I give this movie a 9.3/10 on an informative scale and a 7.4/10 on overall entertainment.