Director Andrei Molchanov
Countries United States
Duration 18 min
Synopsis
In 1979, Harvard law student Ann Pollock married Boris Molchanov, a Russian musician, in Moscow. When Boris applied for an exit visa in order to join Ann in the United States, the USSR violated its treaty obligations under the Helsinki Accords and refused to let Boris join Ann in America. After four years, 26 visits to Russia by Ann, and jail time from Boris, in 1983 Ann's father Lewis Pollock organized a dramatic demonstration in Moscow to bring attention to the situation. With a smuggled helium tank, balloons, a banner, secret cards and matching T-shirts, Lew Pollock and his intrepid group of five American volunteers received international attention for their daring protest in downtown Moscow. As a result of the Moscow demonstration, Boris was granted an exit visa from the Soviet Union. He left the country not knowing whether he would ever see his family or country again.
In 1979, Harvard law student Ann Pollock married Boris Molchanov, a Russian musician, in Moscow. When Boris applied for an exit visa in order to join Ann in the United States, the USSR violated its treaty obligations under the Helsinki Accords and refused to let Boris join Ann in America. After four years, 26 visits to Russia by Ann, and jail time from Boris, in 1983 Ann's father Lewis Pollock organized a dramatic demonstration in Moscow to bring attention to the situation. With a smuggled helium tank, balloons, a banner, secret cards and matching T-shirts, Lew Pollock and his intrepid group of five American volunteers received international attention for their daring protest in downtown Moscow. As a result of the Moscow demonstration, Boris was granted an exit visa from the Soviet Union. He left the country not knowing whether he would ever see his family or country again.