During the last three decades, Sarajevo Film Festival has grown into one of the most prestigious film event in Europe with more than a hundred thousand visitors and quality programs, which attract A-list movie stars as well as top professionals within the international film industry.

Inspired by true events, Freedom tells a lesser-known story that took place in Sibiu in 1989. In the chaotic days of the December 1989 revolution that overthrew the Communist regime in Romania, the Transylvanian city of Sibiu becomes the scene of a violent assault on a police unit that quickly escalates into a bloody confrontation between soldiers, policemen, civilian protesters, and representatives of the secret police. In a desperate attempt to escape the siege, police captain Viorel is captured by the army and thrown into an empty swimming pool along with hundreds of prisoners accused of terrorism. 

Supported by National Film Institute Hungary, Freedom was directed by Tudor Giurgiu who is known for Love Sick (2006), Of Snails and Men (2012), Why Me? (2015), and Parking (2019) and has coproduced several Hungarian films, among others Eden by Agnes Kocsis.

Freedom was written by Cecilia Ștefănescu and Tudor Giurgiu, the film stars Alex Calangiu, Cătălin Herlo, Ionuț Caras and Iulian Postelnicu in the leading roles, as well as Alexandru Papadopol, Andi Vasluianu and Mirela Oprișor.

Last year, while Freedom was still in production, it won the jury prize at CineLink Industry Days, the Sarajevo Film Festival’s works-in-progress showcase. The film premiered at this year’s Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF), where it won the Audience Award.

Freedom is scheduled for release in Hungarian cinemas early November and was produced by Oana Giurgiu (Libra Films) with József Berger (Mythberg Films, Hungary).