Operation Sunrise

A feature film, directed by Donovan Cerminara, written by Florian Dedio & Donovan Cerminara

It’s Christmas of 1991. Without warning, Eastern Europe is overrun by an unknown and seemingly unstoppable army.

NATO and what remains of the Warsaw Pact band together, but only manage to stem the tide after half the continent has been lost, or

“quarantined”, as official statements put it.

What emerges from inside this “Zone” are tales of horror and bloodlust beyond imagining.

To gauge how things stand inside the “Zone”, NATO and its allies send in squads of soldiers they deem expendable. Few, if any, of them are expected to make it back alive.

This is the tale of one such squad. Eight disposable soldiers are sent to scout a small Polish village and its neighboring army base.

“Operation Sunrise” was conceived as a different take on the classic vampire theme, that of a biological weapons program gone awry, and what it would take to stop such a threat.

To get into the minds of soldiers, to be able to co-write the script, I spent three weeks working as translator for the US Army’s 29th Division, as it prepared to deploy for Kosovo.

Filming took place in an actual small Polish village, with the help of its inhabitants, as well as that of the Polish army.

Starring Donovan Cerminara, Karin Hanczewski, Jamie Switch

Cinematography: Florian Dedio

Camera: Christian Heidemeyer

Executive Producers: Mary Ann Richards & Dirk Huysman

Written & Produced By: Florian Dedio & Donovan Cerminara

Directed By: Donovan Cerminara