In 2014, we featured a story on a feature film that was being shot and produced in Milwaukee called "Give Me Liberty." Yesterday, Sundance announced 112 features that will premiere at the annual festival in 2019 and "Give Me Liberty" was one of the films.
The film will be screened as part of Sundance's NEXT series, which is a category for forward-thinking and innnovative filmmaking. Films that have premiered in this series in the recent past include "Searching," "A Ghost Story" and "Tangerine."
Directed by Kirill Mikhanovsky and written by Alice Austen, "Give Me Liberty" is a dark comedy that is set in Milwaukee. When a riot breaks out in America's most segregated city, medical transport driver Vic is torn between his promise to get a group of elderly Russians to a funeral and his desire to help Tracy, a young black woman with ALS.
The film features locations from all over the city and local musicians like Lorde Fredd33.
Mikhanovsky, the director, says the team fought hard to represent Milwaukee in the film.
"We've been to hell and back with it and not once, sticking to our guns and sticking with Milwaukee," he says. "And, finally, much blood sweat and tears later, we are doing what we'd set out to do, i.e. putting Milwaukee on the cinematic map—a feature narrative film generated in and made by Milwaukee. 99 percent of the cast is local and non-actors."
"Give Me Liberty" was one of the recipients of the Brico Forward Fund in 2016 and it was recognized by Film Independent in 2015. You can learn more about the film and its creators on their website.
