Wednesday 26 October 2016

[Unicum] INVITATION 11/2, 7pm: Torn From the Flag

Dell - Internal Use - Confidential

INVITATION – “TORN FROM THE FLAG”
November 2, 2016 – 7 pm FREE Admission
Followed by Q&A with the CINE and AFI Award-Winning Director, Klaudia Kovács
Hungarian Embassy
2950 Spring of Freedom Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008

AHF is proud to be a sponsor of a screening of “Torn from the Flag,” a documentary film about the significant international consequences and participants of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Klaudia Kovacs’ multi-award-winning sociopolitical historical documentary was the last film of legendary cinematographer László Kovács.

Torn from the Flag is presented as part of the program of events in honor of the 60th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, DC.

The film encompasses the tense Cold War era (1945–1991) and presents the rivalry of the superpowers during that time. It shows the 1956 Hungarian Revolution as the first catalyst for the future decline of the communist system, and as a remarkable turning point for the advancement of democracy. The film’s Hungarian title is “A lyukas zászló.”

Torn from the Flag was made primarily for international theatrical release and television distribution, and participated in the 2009 Oscar competition in the ”Best Documentary” category.

The film’s world premiere was in Hollywood, in the American Film Institute’s film festival, AFI Fest. It was screened in the festival’s "Milestones" section—described as "celebrating the best of the best"—along with films by Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni. Tickets for the premiere sold out in 45 minutes, and the film received a standing ovation. To date, the film has been invited to participate in 17 festivals, and is the recipient of 8 awards/recognitions.

A wide-ranging social movement has developed around this film that took filmmaker Klaudia Kovacs 9 years to make. Nearly 2000 individuals and families as well as the majority of Hungarian communities, foundations and churches in North America supported the production.

In addition to other interviewees, the following political notables appear in person or in archive footage:

  • Mikhail Gorbachev
  • Ronald Reagan
  • Henry Kissinger
  • Otto von Habsburg
  • Árpád Göncz
  • Imre Pozsgay
  • János Berecz
  • Gyula Horn
  • George Vassiliou

Critical Acclaim:

"A documentary thriller. Superb." — Chuck Wilson, LA Weekly

"A definitive account. The most comprehensive chronicle of the Hungarian uprising yet caught on film. The film never bogs down. A lively piece of history, put together with a good deal of technical skill as well as unmistakable passion." — Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter

"This was the most powerful and important film experience of my life. Klaudia Kovacs' work in tracking down all those marvelous witnesses and selecting the most illuminating and combustible quotes was unprecedented in documentary film-making." — Barry Farber, Talk Radio Network

"Easily the best documentary film on the 1956 Hungarian revolution." — István Deák, Seth Low Professor Emeritus of History, Columbia University

"A quality production satisfying the highest expectations and demands. It chains you to your seat and helps us understand what freedom truly means." — Leslie Eloed, American Hungarian Journal

"Recognition for cinematographers in general is long overdue. When it comes to Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond, it's clear that the American New Wave of the late 1960s and early '70s wouldn't have flowered as it did without them." — Leonard Maltin

 

READ MORE http://www.americanhungarianfederation.org/news_tornfromtheflag.htm

 

 

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