Produced
by Andy Vajna, Lucy Liu, Amy Sommer, and Quentin Tarantino, and Directed
by the Sibs (Colin Keith Gray and Megan Raney Aarons), Freedom's Fury
documents the 1956 Olympic semifinal water polo match between Hungary
and Russia. Held in Australia, the match occurred as Russian
forces were in Budapest, stomping out a popular revolt. It was a chance
for revenge and the water turned red. It is now known as the "bloodiest
game in Olympic history."
AHF
Co-President, Imre Toth attended the Washington Premiere at the Hungarian
Embassy Hungary. Imre Toth, a filmmaker himself, was asked to present
technical questions from the production crew of Colin Gray and Megan Aarons
(the Sibs.) Imre reports "It was a fantastic experience. This will
be a collector's item for Hungarians for the next 50 years to come."
The Hungarian Ambassador's residency was the site of the post-premiere
reception. Guests included Congressman Tom Lantos and his wife, Congressman
Dennis Kucinich, and Admiral Giambastiani, Vice Chairman of the Joint
C hiefs
of Staff. Other guests there were Randall Kroszner, of the Federal Reserve
Board and Gabe Rozsa, of Government Relations Worldwide.
"Since I'm a film maker I had long discussions with the producers,
the director of photography, the editor. Thor Halvorssen
from Venezuela, who is with the Moving Picture Institute, was very inspired
and said that hopefully when Venezuela will be free again, they will adopt
the hole in the flag as a symbol of freedom achieved."
"Freedom's Fury" is narrated by Mark Spitz, the U.S. swimmer
who won a total of 11 medals at the 1972 and 1976 games, setting a record
for Olympic swimmers. The filmmakers say Spitz took a very personal interest
in the story because he was coached in his teens by Ervin Zador, an Hungarian
player punched in the eye during the famous Melbourne showdown.
In fact, it was Zador's injury that proved the emotional turning point
of the match. When he emerged from the pool with his face bleeding heavily,
passions among the spectators rose so high that police were called to
prevent a riot. The match was abandoned shortly before full time and Hungary
-- then leading -- was credited with victory. The Director, Colin Gray
was also a water polo player at the University of Michigan. His coach,
Ben Quittner, was himself coached by Dezso Gyarmati, a leading member
of the legendary Hungarian 1956 water polo team.
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Producer
Lucy Liu and Narrator Mark Spitz discuss the film and its selection to
the Tribeca Film Festival. Click on the image to see
the video.
"This became the documentary film we all wanted to invest our time
and money into" - Lucy Liu
'This is the best story I've been ever told, I'd love to be involved.'"
- Quentin Tarantino
The
Trailer: "In a relentlesss sport known for its fierce scrimmages
and rough play, one game cemented its reputation as the toughest, most
physically demanding team sport in the Olympics: A water polo semi-final
match between Hungary and the Soviet Union. The year was 1956, Melbourne
Australia... now remembered as the bloodiest game in Olympic history.
A legendary battle about much more than water polo...
Rooted in a vicious war that spilled into Melbourne's pools, seared into
memory by teenage fighters facing certain death in the streets of Budapest,
redeemed by a courageous group of atheletes who carried the torch of freedom
for a brutalized nation. 45 years later, this unforgettable tale of cold
war murder, Olympic revenge, and a legacy of resistence and hope will
finally be told. This is Freedom's Fury." [watch
it]
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