Freedom Dance Set for Release in October, 2006

By Steven Fischer and Craig Herron

Freedom Dance, produced by Steven
Fischer and Craig Herron, is the story of a
young artist and his new wife who are
literally running for their lives—on foot,
by truck, by bus, by train and by boat—
on a gutsy and determined quest for per-
sonal independence.

The documentary chronicles the four
months Edward and Judy Hilbert spent
escaping the ruthless control of
Communist Hungary under cover of the
riotous 1956 Hungarian Revolution as
documented by Edward in a series of
sketches defined by adventure: his apart-
ment destroyed by a Russian tank (while
he was home); a tense smuggling out of
Budapest; the robbery by an opportunistic
escort; a dream-like Christmas in Vienna;
and a punishing boat ride across the
Atlantic to America and freedom.

Freedom Dance is an important movie
not only because of its highly creative use
of animation in a documentary, but also
because of the inspiring achievements of
the Hilberts under extremely difficult
conditions. Their uplifting example
reminds us that America’s freedom is a
privilege, that dreams really do come true
and that the human spirit is capable of
remarkable endurance.

Edward Hilbert has reproduced illus-
trations inspired by the original journal
for Freedom Dance. The original artwork
for the film is for sale to help raise finish-
ing funds and has been exhibited at The
Norman & Sarah Brown Art Gallery,
Baltimore, Maryland, and The Waddell
Art Gallery in Sterling, Virginia.

The International Documentary
Association in Los Angeles, California, is
the movie’s fiscal sponsor. Endorsements
and testimonies have come from: The
Mayor’s Office of Baltimore; PBS; Jewish
Community Center of Greater Baltimore;
The Embassy of Hungary; Center for
Strategic & International Studies,
Washington, DC; From the Heart
Foundation, Oxnard, California.
For more information, go to
www.freedomdancethemovie.com.