The HRFA is proud to sponsor two screenings of the acclaimed documentary film Torn From the Flag.  The films will be shown in Washington, DC and in Metuchen, NJ.  In Washington, DC the film will be shown at 7PM on Friday, Ocober 23rd.  In Metuchen, NJ the film will be shown at 7PM on Sunday, November 1st.

Tickets to the Washington screening are free and may be reserved by calling the Home Office at (202) 328-2630.  Tickets to the New Jersey show are $10 (plus a dollar service charge) and may be reserved by calling Robert Kovacs at (732) 476-7121.   Ticket may be purchased online here.

All net proceeds from the Metuchen, NJ show will be donated to the HRFA Testveriseg Program, supporting Hungarian Language Schools in the United States.

The following is excerpted from the Torn From the Flag website:

Torn From the Flag is a feature-length, English-language documentary film about the fall of communism and the significant global effects of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight, which was one of the most remarkable events in modern history.

In 1956, Hungary, a nation of 10 million people, defeated the tyranny of the Soviet Union, a nation of 200 million. The 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight was the first significant indicator of, and a catalyst for, the future downfall of communism, and it initiated a process that culminated three decades later with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the demise of the Soviet Union. This event was so critical that the United Nations kept the "Hungarian Question" on its agenda for 7 years.

Torn from the Flag is now complete and it is 95 minutes long. It had its World Premiere on November 10th in the most prestigious North American film festival after Sundance: the AFI (American Film Institute) Fest in Los Angeles. We are proud that the film screened in the "Milestones" section, described by AFI as "celebrating the best of the best," to honor the late Hollywood legend Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, our cinematographer. Other Milestones honorees included such notables as Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni.

The project was made to honor the 50^th anniversary. The unique aspect of this quality film lies in its complexity. Our objective was to examine the events on a global historical and political scale. We also utilized the material of recently opened archives and files.

This powerful, bold, thought-provoking film challenges the complacency of the international community at the time and presents questions—like those about foreign occupation—that are still valid today. It has two contraposed storylines—the sufferings and struggle for freedom of the individual, against the backdrop of the harsh, sometimes merciless decisions of world politics.

Our intent was for the story to be told not only by Hungarian freedom fighters, officials, former political prisoners, secret police and communist functionaries, but by foreign citizens who participated and/or witnessed the events, as well. Among others, the interviewees include a Soviet soldier; foreign students; a former member of the Hungarian communist secret police (AVO); historians; a UN expert; and several political notables including European Parliament member Otto von Habsburg and Cold War figure Dr. Henry Kissinger. This broad approach lends more credibility and should prove instrumental in elevating the Hungarian Revolution to its rightful place in world history.

The film was shot on High Definition (HD) in the US, Europe, and Russia. Our cinematographer was multi-award winner Laszlo Kovacs, ASC (Easy Rider; Paper Moon; Shampoo; What's Up, Doc?; New York, New York; My Best Friend's Wedding). Sadly, Mr. Kovacs passed away in July; this was his last film. Torn from the Flag includes current and 1956 archive footage by both Laszlo Kovacs and by another of Hollywood's best cinematographers, Oscar winner Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC (Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Deer Hunter; McCabe & Mrs. Miller; The Witches of Eastwick; The Black Dahlia). They both also acted as Executive Producers of this feature-length documentary.