Tom Prior Soars in Peeter Rebane’s Cold War Thriller ‘Firebird’
- Details
- Category: Entertainment News
- Published on Friday, 30 July 2021 13:42
- Written by Hildy Johnson
At the height of the Cold War, a troubled soldier forms a forbidden love triangle with a daring fighter pilot and his female comrade amid the dangerous surroundings of a Soviet Air Force Base. Based on a true story.
Tom Prior (The Theory of Everything, Kingsman: The Secret Service), leads an international cast including Oleg Zagorodnii (The Choice, Dzhamayka) and Diana Pozharskaya (The Unknown Soldier, Hotel Eleon).
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Firebird is directed by University of Southern California and Harvard alumni Peeter Rebane (Robbie Williams – Live in Tallinn), written together with Tom Prior and produced by Brigita Rozenbrika (Defenders of Riga, Archangel).
Based on a true story Firebird is an intense cold war thriller set in the 1970's Soviet Air Force. A dangerous love triangle forms between Sergey, a troubled conscript, his best friend Luisa, a charming and ambitious secretary to the base Commander, and a daring young fighter pilot Roman. Driven by curiosity, they embark on a fatal affair of forbidden love and deception, navigating the precarious line between love and friendship. Sergey is forced to face his past as Roman's career is endangered and Luisa struggles to keep her family together. As the walls close in they risk their freedom and their very lives in the face of an escalating KGB investigation and the multiple perils of an all-seeing Soviet regime.
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Peeter Rebane came across the story of Firebird seven years ago, via a copy of 'The Story of Roman' by Sergey Fetisov. "I read the story over the weekend, and it made me weep," said Rebane. "This is such a tragic, yet fascinating story."
He knew right away that he had to make this movie. Taking the memoir as a starting point, Rebane collaborated on the script with actor and screenwriter Tom Prior, who is best-known for his performances in The Theory of Everything (2014) and Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and trained formally as an actor at the Royal Academy (RADA) in London. Prior, who also stars in Firebird as Sergey, met Rebane in 2014, and they instantly connected to the story. "We worked extremely well together, but we brought different skills to the project," said Rebane. "My strengths are more analytical, whereas Tom's are rooted in feeling the truth of the moment. It was a perfect collaboration; we could develop the story so that it felt honest."
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"We live at a time when basic human rights, equality and freedom are still under attack around the world", said Rebane. "My goal with Firebird is to reveal how different family models have survived even in the most repressed societies, like the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Firebird is a story about accidental love, crossing the border of friendship and searching for one's identity in a repressive society. Now is the time to tell this true story, to foster greater respect for the universal human right: to love and be loved."
Firebird is produced by The Factory: who have an ethos to tell true stories with a social impact which inspire and connect audiences across the world, and No Reservations Entertainment. Filming is supported by the Estonian Film Institute through Film Estonia cash rebate program.
ABOUT THE FACTORY
The Factory was founded by Peeter Rebane and Adam Brummond who met at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The Factory has an ethos to tell true stories. Stories which transform our consciousness, encouraging audiences to follow their bliss and passion. Stories about the beauty of life.
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