| The Defection of Simas Kudirka | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Bruce Feldman |
| Directed by | David Lowell Rich |
| Starring | Alan Arkin |
| Music by | David Shire |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Gerald W. Abrams Gerald I. Isenberg |
| Producers | Richard Briggs Bruce Sallan |
| Production locations | New Castle, New Hampshire Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
| Cinematography | Jacques R. Marquette |
| Editor | John A. Martinelli |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Production companies | Paramount Television The Jozak Company |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | January 23, 1978 (1978-01-23) |
The Defection of Simas Kudirka is a 1978 Americanmade-for-televisiondrama film based on actual events, featuringAlan Arkin asSimas Kudirka, a Lithuanianmerchant seaman who attempts to defect from theSoviet Union to theUnited States by jumping onto aU.S. Coast Guard cutter. Among the movie's awards are twoEmmy wins and three more Emmy nominations. The movie was directed byDavid Lowell Rich.
The movie revolves around the true events of a Lithuanian man,Simas Kudirka, who was at the time a radio operator on a Soviet fish processing vessel. When his ship meets at sea with a U.S. Coast Guard cutter nearMartha's Vineyard in 1970, Kudirka makes a dramatic leap from the deck, landing on theUSCGCVigilant. He announces that he wishes to defect, but confusion over U.S. policy on defections prevents the Americans from offering him asylum. As the crew of theVigilant looks on, Soviet officers are allowed to board the cutter, beat and bind Kudirka, and drag him back to the Soviet ship. This tinderbox political incident occurs during a Soviet/U.S. conference over fishing rights.[1][2]
The movie was filmed inPortsmouth, New Hampshire, thePortsmouth Naval Shipyard inKittery, Maine, and off the coast ofNew Hampshire and southernMaine. The final scene showsSimas Kudirka (Alan Arkin) and his wife Genna (Shirley Knight) reviewing the crew of the Coast Guard cutterVigilant, the ship onto which Kudirka jumped. The actual ship shown in the movie was theUSCGCDecisive at its home port ofNew Castle, New Hampshire. The TSState of Maine, the training ship ofMaine Maritime Academy inCastine, Maine was used as the Russian fish factory ship. Many students at MMA were extras as Russian crewmen.[3]
In 1978, the movie won twoEmmys and was nominated for another three at the30th Primetime Emmy Awards.[4]
Winners were:
The nominated categories and nominees were:
In 1979, the movie won an "Eddie" from theAmerican Cinema Editors, USA, forBest Edited Television Special, awarded to John A. Martinelli.
The movie has been released on DVD on-demand format.[5]