Defiance
A determined group of Jewish brothers leads a hidden forest refuge, fighting Nazi death squads while rallying hundreds of survivors to resist oppression and protect their humanity.
“Freedom begins with an act of defiance”
Synopsis
Based on a true story, during World War II, four Jewish brothers flee their Nazi-occupied homeland of West Belarus in Poland and join the Soviet partisans to fight against the Nazis. The brothers initiate the rescue of approximately 1,200 Jews who remain trapped in the ghettos of Poland.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 297+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Steven RosenblumShot by Eduardo SerraScored by James Newton HowardDesigned by Dan WeilSound by Anna BehlmerCostumes by Jenny BeavanStunts by Tomas Ereminas
Box Office
2008 · Box office
⚖️ Fell short of break-even — grossed 1.6× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$51.2M
US & Canada: $28.6M — 56% of worldwide · International: $22.5M (44%)
Opening weekend: $77K — 0% of its US run. It had legs — it kept earning long after opening weekend.
Opening week (7-day): $77K — 0% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 2 theaters
Full synopsis
Versions & cuts
- extended· 160 min
Also known as
- Defiance – Für meine Brüder, die niemals aufgabende
- Unbeugsamde
- Unbeugsam - Defiancede
- (English)Defiance
- Les Insurgésfr
- Defiance - I giorni del coraggioit
- (Bulgarian)Съпротива
Release dates around the world5 countries · showhide
- United StatesDec 31, 2008
- South KoreaJan 8, 2009
- SpainJan 9, 2009
- United KingdomJan 9, 2009
- IrelandJan 9, 2009
Companies
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Cast & Crew
297 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Daniel Craig
as Tuvia Bielski
Liev Schreiber
as Zus Bielski
Jamie Bell
as Asael Bielski
Alexa Davalos
as Lilka Ticktin
Allan Corduner
as Shimon Haretz
Mark Feuerstein
as Isaac Malbin
Tomas Arana
as Ben Zion Gulkowitz
Jodhi May
as Tamara Skidelsky
Kate Fahy
as Riva Reich
Iddo Goldberg
as Yitzhak Shulman
Iben Hjejle
as Bella
Martin Hancock
as Peretz Shorshaty
Supporting cast
63Ravil Isyanov
as Viktor Panchenko
Jacek Koman
as Konstanty 'Koscik' Kozlowski
George Mackay
as Aron Bielski
Jonjo O Neill
as Lazar
Sam Spruell
as Arkady Lubczanski
Mia Wasikowska
as Chaya Dziencielsky
Mark Margolis
as Jewish Elder
Markus Von Lingen
as German SS Scout
Rolandas Boravskis
as Gramov
Algirdas Dainavicius
as Motl Lubczanski
Aurelija Prashuntaite
as Rachel
Vidas Petkevicius
as Avram Rubinski
Ina Frismanaite
as Avram's Daughter
Ana Goldberg
as Lila
Rimante Valiukaite
as Miriam
Leonardas Pobedonoscevas
as Jacov
Kristina Bertasiute
as Dark Haired Beauty
Kristina Skokova
as Red Haired Woman
Remigijus Bilinskas
as Pinchas Zuckerman
Rimgaudas Karvelis
as Oppenheim
Janina Matekonyte
as Well-Dressed Woman
Leonas Ciunis
as Accountant
Aleksandr Zila
as Chaya's Father
Iveta Nadzeikiene
as Chaya's Mother
Clayton Frohman
as Isadore Skidelsky
Marc Levy
as Yechael Efrati
Zoe Rosenblum
as Sarah Oppenheim
Sakalas Uzdavinys
as Lova Volkin
Saulius Janavicius
as Israel Kotler
Leonid Kotik
as Krensky
Dalia Smalskiene
as Rosa
Tadas Kavaliauskas
as Levine
Matas Cancingeris
as Little Boy
Diana Aneviciute
as Koscik's Wife
Sigitas Rackys
as Belarussian Police Captain
Vaidas Kublinskas
as Police Captain's Son #1
Valentin Novopolskij
as Police Captain's Son #2
Dalia Micheleviciute
as Police Captain's Wife
Ervinas Peteraitis
as Kissely the Milkman
Dmitrijus Denisiukas
as Policeman
Antanas Surna
as Orthodox Rabbi
Dalius Mertinas
as Belarussian Police Officer #1
Vaidotas Martinaitis
as Belarussian Police Officer #2
Aldona Bendoriute
as Jewish Mother Separated From Child #1
Darius Gumauskas
as Jewish Father Being Beaten #1
Irmantas Bacelis
as Jewish Father Being Beaten #2
Edita Uzaite
as Jewish Mother Separated From Child #2
Jordan Bielsky
as Villager Getting Shot
Gediminas Girdvainis
as Screaming Man
Stanislav Adamickij
as German Captain
Klemens Becker
as SS Captain
Jonas Tamulevigius
as German Courier
Jaroslav Psenicka
as German Officer in Car
Jolanta Dapkunaite
as Woman in Car
Miroslav Lhotka
as German Officer
Giacomo Strasser
as German Private
Mac Steinmeier
as German Sergeant
Dmitri Zisl Slepovitch
as Musician
Arkadij Gotesman
as Musician
Borisas Kirzeneris
as Musician
Raimondas Sviackevicius
as Musician
Adolf Hitler
as Self
Zitto Kazann
Directors
1Writers
3Producers
13Alex Boden
producer: pick-ups (uncredited)
Alisa Katz
associate producer (as Alisa S. Katz)
Andrew Litvin
line producer: pick-ups (uncredited)
Beth Dewey
digital intermediate producer: EFilm (as Elizabeth Dewey)
Brian Jochum
title producer / titles producer
Clayton Frohman
co-producer
Edward Zwick
Producer, Producers
Gary Tuck
line producer: Lithuania
Marshall Herskovitz
Producers, executive producer
Pieter Jan Brugge
Producer, Producers
Robert E Phillips
digital intermediate assistant producer: EFilm (uncredited)
Roland Tec
co-producer
Troy Putney
associate producer
Other crew
213Saule Blistrabiene
accommodation coordinator
Aurimas Puniskis
accounting clerk
Liudmila Bobojarova
accounts assistant: BFS
Rasa Baluciunaite
accounts assistant: BFS
Simona Sedleckaite
accounts assistant: BFS
James Bolt
additional sound re-recording mixer (as Jim Bolt)
Laura Harris Atkinson
adr editor / dialogue editor
Adrian Baumeister
adr mixer (as Adrianne Baumeister)
Tim Atkins
adr recordist
Yann Biquand
Art Directors, draftsman
Veronique Melery
as Veronique Melery
Ana Stichini
assistant accountant / assistant production accountant
Parents Guide
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