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Lauer Learning Founder is Key Supporter of Fundraising Screening and Reception for documentary, Torn From the Flag

Award Winning Oscar® Race Contender Provides Unique Perspective to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution’s link to the Fall of Communism

Atlanta -- May 30, 2008 – A large crowd comprised of Hungarian Americans and history buffs turned out for a fundraiser reception and screening of Torn from the Flag, an award winning documentary portraying the role of the1956 Hungarian Revolution in the fall of communism. Andrea Lauer Rice, the founder and CEO of Lauer Learning, a Roswell, Ga based multi-media education company, was the principal patron of the event.  It was one of a number of fundraisers held across the country to launch the film to its race for the Oscars®. 

Torn From the Flag, which had its world premier in late 2007 at the American Film Institute Film Festival in Hollywood and was shown at the 2008 Atlanta Film Festival, was produced by two renowned cinematographers, Oscar winner Vilmos Zsigmond and the late Laszio Kovacs.  Independent filmmaker Klaudia Kovacs made the “sociopolitical historical film about the fall of communism in relation to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution”.

Attending the fundraiser were local representatives from the Hungarian American Coalition, the Hungarian Club of Georgia and the Atlanta Hungarian Language Meetup, along with John Parkerson, the honorary consul of the Republic of Hungary, Ralph Wilcox, veteran actor and head of the Southwest Georgia Film Commission. The event was held at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s LeCraw Auditorium.

The fundraiser and screening raised $15,000 and contributed to the overall effort to raise funds for the film’s Oscar nominating campaigns in cities across the country, according to Lauer Rice.
“This is the final fundraising push for a movie which has been a grass roots effort from the beginning,” she said.  “From production to distribution, Torn from the Flag has been supported entirely by contributions from interested individuals and organizations from the Hungarian American Community, It is a wonderful tribute to a revolution that is so important to both Hungarians and freedom loving people everywhere.”

Lauer Rice, whose mother and grandparents survived the ’56 Revolution, is considered an expert on the event and its historical implications.  Her company, Lauer Learning creates and markets products that teach children about cultures, foreign languages and history.  Following the development of a cluster of products around the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, she is currently rolling out her latest, comprehensive “Pass It On” project that includes new product applications geared to preserving ethnic legacies from generation to generation.   

Klaudia Kovacs, who wrote and produced the film – her directorial debut –, has depended entirely on the generosity and devotion of supporters.  “The film could never have been made without the aid of the international and North American Hungarian communities,” she said.  “We have received grants and donations from foundations, institutions, companies and individuals.  We are grateful for this outpouring of generosity and know we have produced a gem of a movie that aims for international attention.”

The film, which has been screened at seven festivals and won four awards, presents the relationship between the struggle for freedom of the individual and the resolve of world politics.  

Lauer Rice and her family have been supporters of the production and distribution of Torn from the Flag for several years.  “After watching this film several times now, I am convinced that it is one of the best documentary films I have seen.  Klaudia and her team do a masterful job of weaving fascinating archival footage with historical perspective and personal interviews that are at times heart warming and at other times gut wrenching,” Lauer Rice said.  “Unlike other films on this topic, Torn from the Flag does a remarkable job of providing international context for this period, by including footage from other countries, historical information about major influencing global factors.” 

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