Freedom From Despair: The Movie

FREEDOM FROM DESPAIR: CAST AND CREW BIOGRAPHIES

BRENDA BRKUSIC
Producer, Writer, Director, Editor

Filmmaker, activist, humanitarian, dancer and model, Brenda Brkusic was born in Chicago and moved to Los Angeles on an academic scholarship from Chapman University, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and graduated with highest honors in Film and Television Writing and Directing. Inspired by her parent’s activism as a child, Brenda always knew it was her calling to film the stories of others who were suffering around the world. Beginning as a production intern for filmmaker Bruce Schwartz while studying at Marymount College, Brenda gained experience as a script supervisor and dance choreographer on various short films. At age 20 she wrote, produced, directed and edited a short documentary called My Croatia which was nominated for a Best Documentary award at Chapman School of Film.

Recognizing her efforts, Chapman awarded her its Marion Knott Scholarship, which afforded her the opportunity to work one on one with Academy Award® winning filmmaker David S. Ward. At age 22 she wrote, produced, directed and edited her multi-award winning feature documentary Freedom from Despair, shooting in the US and Croatia and utilizing such talents as Michael York, John Savage, Beata Pozniak and US Congressman Dennis Kucinich. By creatively blending interviews, narrative recreations, and stock footage to illuminate the human experience, hidden political agendas, and global responsibility, Brenda Brkusic has gained a reputation as an important new voice in the documentary field. Her film has won a dozen awards at film festivals, from Hollywood to New York to Croatia including a coveted CINE Golden Eagle Award (previously won by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Ken Burns). The highest honor of all, Brenda was invited by the International Documentary Associatian to be considered for a prestigious Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award and Freedom from Despair was also nominated for a David L. Wolper Distinguished Documentary Achievement Award in the 2005 IDA Awards Gala. Brenda's film has received critical acclaim from the international press, and in June of 2005, her hard work on Freedom from Despair was recognized by US Congress and she was honored on the Congressional Record of the US House of Representatives.
In 2007 she was invited to Brussels, Belgium to present her film to the European Union during the International Leaders Summit on Economic Freedom at the European Parliament. The Croatian National Foundation was her fiscal sponsor for the film, and Amnesty International, the largest human rights organization in the world, officially endorses her film for its strong human rights advocacy. Another human rights organization, The Anti-Defamation League, has named the film a Finalist in their competition. Brenda produces her own tours with the film across the US, Canada, Europe and Australia. In this grass roots effort to screen the film in churches, cultural clubs, and film festivals, she has generated a fan base of hundreds of thousands of people. Brenda has also been invited by Colleges, Universities and top PR Firms to speak to students about leadership and the documentary filmmaking process and was asked by the International Documentary Association to show her film to high school students in documentary classes sponsored by the IDA. Besides running her own documentary production company, Istina Productions, Brenda was asked by Amnesty International and MTV to direct human rights related public service announcements, “interviews with the director” and “behind the scenes” documentary material for the film Innocent Voices directed by Louis Mendoki. Brenda is currently securing international distribution for Freedom from Despair through DVD sales, television airings on PBS and educational outreach through an educational distributor. Brenda currently works for PBS as a Production Manager at KOCE-TV and as a Producer and Channel Manager for KOCE-TV’s new OC Channel. Before taking on these new roles at PBS, she served as a Producer for an Emmy Award winning PBS nightly news program. In her free time she volunteers for the IDA, raises awareness and funding for landmine removal in war torn countries, and is an active supporter of the organizations Adopt-a-Minefield, Roots of Peace, and Artists for Amnesty International. Brenda is currently helping to produce a documentary on the life of famous Croatian ballerina Mia (Corak) Slavenska. Information is available at www.slavenskadancepreservation.com

JOHN SAVAGE
Narrator

John Savage has starred in some of the great Academy Award Winning films of the seventies such as The Deer Hunter, and Hair, and has always been attracted to humanitarian causes. While in Africa, he served as the production manager for Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. Some of his recent films include Oliver Stone’s Salvador, Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, Coppola’s Godfather 3, and The Thin Red Line. His impressive TV credits include his regular role in the James Cameron FOX series Dark Angel. John has organized the children’s theatre group, in which he performs without fees in public housing. Presently, John travels across the country as a spokesman for The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

MICHAEL YORK
Voice Over

Michael York has enjoyed a successful international career for nearly 40 years, creating an impressive body of work on stage, screen and in the recording studio. His more than 100 film and TV credits include memorable roles in Romeo and Juliet, Cabaret, The Three Musketeers, Logan's Run and all three Austin Powers movies. He has recorded over 60 audio books, including his autobiography, Accidentally on Purpose. Awarded Britain's OBE, France's Arts et Lettres, he also has a Star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

BEATA POZNIAK
Voice Over

Best known for her role as Marina Oswald in Oliver Stone's JFK, acclaimed Polish actress, activist and artist Beata Pozniak is as politically-minded offscreen. She spearheaded passage of the first bill to recognize International Women's Day in the United States and produces an annual star-studded Women's Day Awards Show recognizing the achievements of unique women. Pozniak's paintings and sculptures explore the roles of women in society, and have attracted the attention of Los Angeles galleries and a celebrity clientele. Pozniak has been seen on Melrose Place, Mad About You, George Lucas’ The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, JAG, Babylon 5 and Pensacola: Wings of Gold.

PETAR CVIRN
Lead Actor

Born in Zagreb, Croatia, on september 1, 1986, Petar Cvirn first started acting at the age of 10 in a local partner theatre of the Croatian National Theatre. Since elementary school Petar has been chosen to play lead roles 14 different works such as Cinderella, and as the Greek God Apolo in The Fury of the Gods. Freedom from Despair was his feature film debut.

TERENCE PRATT
Director of Photography

Since his arrival in the motion picture industry, Terence Pratt has worked on numerous award winning independent features as well as shot over 200 episodes of television including Unsolved Mysteries, Arrest and Trial and the Lifetime reality series What Should You Do? He has traveled the world for Discovery Channel to document such wonders as the Sphinx in Egypt, the Yonaguni underwater pyramid structure in the East China Sea, and the Garaho Indians of Northern Columbia. His student documentary, Wake Island, won Best Documentary at the Melbourne International Film Festival and he also won Best Cinematography at the New York Independent Film Festival for the film Devil’s Playground.

IRINA DAMIC
Associate Producer in Croatia

Irina Damic is the first and only casting director in Croatia and the head of Kvadar, a production company in Croatia run by women. She has recently worked with Branko Lustig, Michael Winterbottom, and with the V-Day organization for their current program in Croatia. Irina’s talents can be seen in the films Welcome to Sarajevo, Peacemaker, and Behind Enemy Lines.

NENAD BACH
Music

Some of Nenad Bach’s work includes performing on MTV, scoring the Robert Stone documentary feature film The Satellite Sky, which won "Louis Award" for 1990, the Robert Katz film King of Cool, the Danny Schechter film Beyond Life With Timothy Leary. He also composed the world renowned 1000 Years of Peace, a fundraising compilation with Michael York, Martin Sheen and John Malkovich for orphaned children during the war in Croatia.

ADDITIONAL INTERVIEWEES

DENNIS KUCINICH—US Congressman who visited Croatia during the 1990’s war.

GEORGE RADANOVICH—US Congressman.

C. MICHAEL MCADAMS—Historian and author of the book, Croatia: Myth and Reality

DR. JERRY BLASKOVICH—Author of the book, Anatomy of Deceit and investigator of war crimes in the 1990’s war.

MARKO DIZDAR—Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience at Lepoglava Prison from 1974-1985 and President of Former Political Prisoners Under Communism.

FATHER PETAR BEZINA—75 years in Priesthood and witness to murders of Croatian Catholic clergy members under Communism.

SURVIVORS OF COMMUNISM—including Kruno Brkusic, his family and friends.