Topic Picks Up Lithuanian Documentary for North America

Topic has acquired the TVOD and SVOD rights to the Cold War documentary The Jump for the U.S. and Canada.

The Jump, directed and produced by Giedrė Žickytė, tells the story of Simas Kudirka, a Lithuanian sailor who defected by jumping off a Soviet vessel onto a U.S. Coast Guard cutter. Through eye-witness reports, rare archival footage and interviews, the documentary details Kudirka’s Soviet trial for treason, the protests for his freedom and the twist of fate that changed everything.

The documentary is a co-production from Moonmakers, VFS Films and Faites Un Voeu, in association with Naked Edge Films. Žickytė and Uldis Cekulis are producers.

The Jump will be released on March 1 in the U.S. and Canada, with an SVOD release slated for summer 2022 on Topic.

“Simas Kudirka is the kind of risk-taker our viewers will immediately be fascinated by,” said Ryan Chanatry, general manager of Topic. “His story, told beautifully by Giedrė, is a compelling reflection on the sacrifices we make to better our lives and the hold that our historic roots have on us.”