Freedom’s Fury

Imagine your country had just been brutally overtaken by a foreign power. And then you had to play water polo against them.

Freedom’s Fury is a compelling video on many levels – an intense look at the sport of water polo, a dramatic insight into the lives of a people under repression, and a snapshot of cold war politics as two halves of the world stare each other down.

But most of all it is the story of seven highly skilled athletes as they face the most serious opponent you could have in sport – the one who is also your bloody enemy on the streets of your home city.

And you can be sure Quinten Tarrantino isn’t executive producer of movies with a weak story line – even documentaries such as this one.

In October 1956, the Hungarian people rose up against the oppression of the Soviet Russian occupying forces. Thousands lined the streets – some ripping the red star from the centre of the Hungarian flag. As the Soviets backed off, the world champion Hungarian water polo team headed to Melbourne for the Olympics. But before they touched down at Tullamarine, the Russians had returned to massacre hundreds of civilians in the streets with a tank army bigger than the one Hitler used to beat the French.

As the worried water polo players prepared for their gold medal defence, they found out who they were playing in the semi-final. Russia!

And so the scene was set for the most emotional and physical game of water polo in history.

Freedom’s Fury can be bought online through Madman Entertainment. Go to www.madman.com.au.

The giveaway copy of the Freedom's Fury DVD was won by John Hamilton of Sydney.