Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all North American, Eastern European and Asian rights to the documentary Red Army from filmmaker Gabe Polsky. The film was just announced as part of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival lineup in the Special Screening Section.
Red Army is about the Soviet Union and the most successful dynasty in sports history: the Red Army hockey team. Filmmaker Gabe Polsky tells an extraordinary human story from the perspective of its captain Slava Fetisov, the friendships, the betrayals, and the personal dramas, which led to his transformation from national hero to political enemy. The film examines how sport mirrors social and cultural movements and parallels the rise and fall of the Red Army team with the Soviet Union. Red Army is an inspiring story about a man who stood up to a powerful system and paved the way for change for generations of Russians.
“At its heart, this is a film about the Russian soul,” stated Polsky. “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to work with Tom and Michael and very excited to present the film in Cannes.”
“We can’t wait to present this film to audiences everywhere. This is Russian history as seen from the perspective of professional ice hockey,” said Bernard and Barker. “Director Gabe Polsky has made a dramatic, entertaining movie about historic heroes on the ice. ‘Red Army’ has the same level of depth and freshness as ‘Inside Job’ and ‘Fog of War,’ the last two documentaries we brought to Cannes. We look forward to presenting the film with Gabe and his producers.”
The film was Executive Produced by Jerry Weintraub, Werner Herzog, and Liam Satre-Meloy.
