Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Onlinewsma Absolutely Brilliant!

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

beckesdz Torn From The Flag is an inspirational David and Goliath story. I knew little about what transpired in Hungary in 1956. This film proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that man's desire for freedom can override even the most daunting odds. Everyone who loves freedom should see this film, because sometimes I think that those of us who have it...take it for granted. The courage of the Hungarian people going up against the one of the most powerful countries in the world, was the crack in the dike that eventually led to the downfall of the Soviet Union. The way Ms. Kovacs paced the film is extraordinary. It was amazing to me how much suspense she was able to create through the interviews of some of the participants and survivors of the Hungarian Revolution. Torn From the Flag is a masterful piece of work. Shelley Beckes

MATT BRENNAN I have seen many documentaries and films in my life, but never one that holds my attention quite like this wonderful film. As a boy, I followed events in Hungary in 1956, but never had a clear view of the sequence of events, or how the Hungarian Revolution played on the world stage. This movie is Michener's famous book about the Hungarian Revolution,"The Bridge at Andau," on steroids. The carefully conducted interviews give the film a human dimension. The in-depth historical commentary on the post-World War Two Hungarian police state and later Soviet duplicity, the role of Radio Free Europe and the diversion caused by an ill-timed French-British-Israeli seizure of the Suez Canal, leaves the viewer enthralled. The extensive documentary footage interwoven throughout puts it all in context.People at my screening hated to see the film end. They sat in place, eyes riveted to the screen as credits rolled. This is a well-documented, well-researched movie. Everyone should have the opportunity to view it.Thanks so much for making it.Matt

kathynagy Torn from the Flag - How can I convey in words the emotion I felt and the education I received watching this documentary and do it justice?This documentary film shows the dramatic events which led to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and consequently the collapse of the USSR Communist state decades later. The producers interviewed several actual Freedom Fighters and other participants with various points of view, so Torn from the Flag is not a mere repetition of the same news stories of the Hungarian Revolution we have heard many times before. In fact, in 90 minutes, the audience is shocked, brought to tears, witnesses the bloody struggle and the apparent short-lived victory which was achieved by the Freedom Fighters. Days later, the Hungarians' joy of freedom and hope for independence was brutally crushed by a merciless, overbearing dictatorial superpower, which was followed by severe retribution by the new communist government. Desperation replaced hope in Hungary, and the world stood by and did nothing. Why did the free world allow this suppression of liberty?This story must be told and kept alive so that current generations better understand what occurred and future generations do not forget this struggle for freedom.Thank you, Ms.Kovacs and company for this valiant production!

keanufilm-1 After seeing the film, these are the initial words that came to my mind: FAIR, BALANCED AND EXTREMELY PROFESSIONALLY DONE! It is very hard not to be biased about this subject matter especially when almost all involved making this film are or were affected by that era. I am not just referring to the Freedom Fighters in 1956; I am also talking about those who were raised under Communism. One might think that this film could present an excellent opportunity for venting, for hatred and everything that comes with that point of view; however the film avoids it by all means. It shows both sides and gives a great historical recap of events before, during and after 1956. The film would stand in history and could be shown to future generations, as it is without bias or distortion about what happened. For that, the filmmakers should be proud of themselves. The film's style may give you the feel of a History Channel program. I think that might be the case because of the outstanding production value and excellent professional work that we see on those TV programs. Today's documentary style is predominantly personal stories, sometimes shot with a skeleton crew and shaky camera. Because this film's professional look, one might think of television. Make no mistake, this is a feature documentary that would stand in competition with others in film festivals and would have a great chance to rise above them. The technical aspect: I would pay attention to the fantastic sound editing! Also, the cinematographer's choice of showing the participants' faces in shadow is actually a fantastic choice. It makes it look interesting, because we listen to their voice more so than watching the face that tells us the story or comments. The use of music is almost an extra character in the film; the choices are superb. Overall, I liked the film. As a Hungarian, I imagine it likely speaks to me more than it might to a non- Hungarian. However, non-Hungarian can use these historical events as a comparison to current events. The documentary films we see nowadays, such as Michael Moore's Roger and Me or Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me, started a trend: take on gigantic corporations and fight them like Don Quixote. This film shows and states that this small country, Hungary, was able to fight a giant like the Soviet Union…and fought it by itself, without any help. If the audience takes away from this film nothing else but this message of courage, it is worthwhile.