TORN FROM THE FLAG – DECEMBER, 2005
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This progress report is to update you on the latest developments on the feature-length documentary film project Torn from the Flag about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and its significant global effects. We would like to wish you a very happy holiday season, a merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. This year we received a lot of generous support and we would like to express the utmost gratitude to those who helped. With their help we were able to finish shooting our film just days ago! We were filming in Budapest, Moscow and Rome.
Our film shoot started on October 23rd in Hungary. We shot interviews and exteriors of locations connected to the revolution. In Russia the setup was similar. In Rome we focused on interviews primarily. Overall during our European shoot we added close to 70 hours of footage to what we had shot in the U.S. already. With the production phase coming to an end we are entering post-production, during which the film will be edited and the archive materials carefully selected.
While in Rome, I also attended History 2005, a documentary broadcasters' conference, and met important people who make the decisions about what programs to air on television stations around the world. Their interest in Torn from the Flag was great, though their final decision will be made when the film is completed.
Our project has enjoyed an increased amount of publicity this quarter; thank you to all the publications that gave our project press! In Hungary we were on/in Kossuth Radio, TV2, Duna TV, Magyar Nemzet, 168 Ora, Moziverzum, Kulturhaz, and many other media outlets. Here are a couple of samples that you can access online:
Metro Online article - the October 21, 2005 "Halló" section--go to: www.metro.hu/portal_index2.php?page=archiv.phplayout=4ev=2005ho=10nap=21rovatok=10searching=1
An article in Magyar Kronika can be found at:
www.magyarkronika.com/gondolatok/1-050829.htm.
Without Phil Radin of Panavision Los Angeles, Hugh Whittaker at Panavision U.K. and Panavision’s sponsorship we could not have done our European shoot. We’d like to repeatedly express our gratitude for their utmost trust and generosity toward our film.
Another key person who deserves introduction is one of our hardworking and conscientious cinematographers, Zoltán Honti, who hails from Budapest, Hungary, where he began his career as a still photographer. He attended the Hungarian College for Film and Theatre and earned a BA at the College of Economics in Budapest. In 2002 he came to Los Angeles to study cinematography at the American Film Institute. His thesis film Off Hollywood & Vine was one of the three representing AFI at the American Society of Cinematographers Student Awards. Mr. Honti interned at Panavision Woodland Hills, and separately with Oscar-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond in 2004 on Surrender Dorothy, a film by Charles McDougall starring Diane Keaton, as well as in 2005 on Black Dahlia, a film by Brian De Palma starring Hilary Swank, Scarlett Johansson and Josh Hartnett.
Since we are still working in Europe, at press time we have not yet had the time to sort out all the individuals we need to thank. Therefore we would like to collectively thank all those who helped on the Hungarian, Russian and Italian shoots. We will acknowledge everyone in our next newsletter.
We would like to congratulate Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond for their Inaugural Legend Awards from the Hungarian Society of Cinematographers that they received in October. We had the honor to be present at the lovely ceremony co-sponsored by Sparks Camera and Lighting. We thank “Richy" Béla and Judit Romwalter for their kind invitation to the event as well as their support of Torn from the Flag.
Since our last newsletter, we received generous donations from the following, listed by the date of the donation:
American Hungarian Coalition; Laszlo and Emese Kerkay; Zoltan Csukonyi; Lajos Gondan; Paul and Eva Fekete (third check); Cleveland Hungarian Development Panel; Tamas Kovacs and David Weir in the name of Antal Thokoly; Charles T. and Lizou Fenyvesi; Istvan Nyirjesy, M.D. (third check); Hungarian American Athletic Club; Cathy Mikszath Laping and Francis Laping; Arto and Ella Szabo; Ilona Urban Harris; Eszter T. Pattantyus and Tibor I. Nagy; Hungarian Association (Magyar Tarsasag/Arpad Academy); Katinka S. Daniel; Eva E. Voisin; Ildiko M. Temesvary; The Emory & Ilona E. Ladany Foundation, Inc.; Istvan Matta; Tibor and Ilona Vari; Geza Simon (fourth check); Laszlo Papp (second check); The Dan Family Foundation; George M. and Ildiko Rosen; Helen Daniel; Thomas A. Nagy; John P. Gyekenyesi; Irene Muranyi; Maria and Leslie P. Kralik; Joseph Veres; Anonymous. Additionally, we were extremely thrilled to receive an Anonymous donation of $25,000 via the Hungarian American Coalition.
Thanks to Laszlo Kovacs' efforts and enthusiastic support, our project received sponsorship from Technicolor, an excellent-quality U.S. post-production facility; additionally, Panavision London is also sponsoring us. We are extremely grateful to both companies; they, too, would very much like to see the film come together and are helping in any way they can. Thank you to Laszlo Buda, who has set a goal of raising funds in the Cleveland Hungarian community for the film, and to assure a screening of Torn from the Flag in that area as well. Thank you to: Charlotte Remenyik and Professor Isik Doluca for translation. Tamas Acsady was our highly competent and helpful intern this quarter. We thank Erik Forsell, a protégé of Laszlo Kovacs', for all his help on the Los Angeles shoot last quarter. Our volunteer transcribers for the US interviews were Laszlo Beres, Tamas Bognar, Julie Draskoczy, Yudit Ecsedy, Michael Esposito, Gabriella Garzon, Janos Dolinszky, Louis Ott, Attila Toth and Arpad Varga.
Our wish list is still significant:
A fellow filmmaker is looking for information about Robert Pongracz (born in Budapest April 24, 1933; mother's maiden name was Maria Grosswirth), a freedom fighter in 1956 who fled Hungary shortly thereafter. He was an officer in the Hungarian army and fought with the Almassy Ter group (later the Royal Hotel group). Pongracz may have information about Laszlo Pigniczky. If you have any information, please contact the filmmaker directly: Reka Pigniczky - rekarita@yahoo.com.
Since we're still lacking funds, we are asking for your help to complete our budget NOW. Due to the 50th anniversary we can wait no longer. Please do send your check now so we can complete the film in time. Donations are tax-deductible in the U.S., Canada and Hungary. It is also possible to donate using your credit card: www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=78761 You may also donate stock and we are able to sell it for you! For those who supported Torn from the Flag previously, kindly send us a check again and match your previous contribution. Do tell your family and friends about the project, as well! We are so very close to our goal; please take action: write your check and send it now.
U.S. taxpayers: please make the check payable to the International Documentary Association and write the words "Torn from the Flag" in the memo section.
Canadian taxpayers: please make the check payable to the
United Hungarian Fund and write the words "Torn from the Flag" in the memo section.
Please mail the checks to:
1626 North Wilcox Avenue, #393
Hollywood, CA 90028
Attention: Klaudia Kovacs, Producer / Director
Hungarian taxpayers may donate via “Pro Professione Alapitvany - A lyukas zaszlo.” Your donation is tax-deductible in accordance with local laws, and the account number you may donate to is: 117-05-008-20491246.
Friends, again, please donate to the project now. I know that you, too, would love to see this film project happen next year with your sponsorship! NOW is the time to help! Thank you, once again, for your interest in and generous support of this important educational project.
Sincerely yours,
Klaudia Kovacs
Producer, Director, Writer
www.klaudiainc.com
klaudiakovacs@msn.com