“One ironic thing is that although (the Soviet Union) was one of the most oppressive systems, with no respect for the individual, it somehow produced the freest hockey on the planet. These guys, when they got on the ice, it was like watching jazz. They could do anything. I find that a paradox. It's interesting because I think the North American style was a lot less free. It was not encouraged to be creative.” ThinkingGuyIndividualInterestingCreativeStylePlanetsUnionsJazzIceParadoxHockeyIronicSovietBe CreativeSoviet UnionNo RespectIronic Things Author:Gabe Polsky
“My parents are from the former Soviet Union, from Ukraine, and I grew up wanting to be a professional hockey player.” ParentPlayerGrewGrew UpUnionsFormerHockeySovietSoviet UnionUkraineHockey Player Author:Gabe Polsky
“Growing up, I didn't know very much about my heritage and the Soviet Union and things of that nature. But when I saw the Soviet Union play hockey for the first time, to me, it was profound.” KnowsFirstsPlayGrowing UpSawsGrowingFirst TimeUnionsProfoundHockeyHeritageSovietSoviet Union Author:Gabe Polsky
“When I looked into the story of Soviet hockey and its players, I realized that it has nothing to do with hockey. It was a larger story using hockey as a window into the story of the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian people, with friendships and betrayals, paranoia and oppression, and the meaning of sports to people and nations around the world, and how sports was used as a political tool.” PeopleWorldStoriesPoliticalUsedFallNationsSportsPlayerToolsWindowUnionsBetrayalI RealizedOppressionAround The WorldHockeySovietSoviet UnionParanoiaRise And Fall Author:Gabe Polsky
“What I found interesting about Slava Fetisov was that he went through three different generations of Soviet hockey. In the late 70's, he experienced the Miracle on Ice, and then in the 80's became with his teammates the Russian Five, the most dominant team in the history of hockey, and then helped bring down the hockey system when the Soviet Union collapsed and became one of the first players to play in the NHL, and then ultimately came back to Russia.” FirstsDifferentPlayThreeFoundInterestingFivePlayerGenerationsTeamLateMiracleUnionsRussiaIceHockeySovietDominantSoviet UnionTeammateNhlDifferent Generations Author:Gabe Polsky
“I don't want to get into being too hockey centered, but I just felt like the late 70's and 80's into the 90's was the right time period to tell the story.” WantStoriesFeltPeriodsLateHockeyRight TimeTime Periods Author:Gabe Polsky
“I'm American and I wanted my friend and people to see ' Red Army' . I didn't want it to be a film for Russia, although I did show it there and they absolutely loved it.” PeopleWantShowsWantedFilmMy FriendsRedArmyRussiaRed Army Author:Gabe Polsky
“When people do something extraordinarily well, it's self-evident. It could be art. It could be a circus, whatever it is, where people are doing incredible things. It's self-evident. You know that it's beautiful. You know that it's very difficult, but it looks easy.” PeopleKnowsWellsLooksArtSelfBeautifulEasyDifficultIncrediblesEvidentCircusBeautiful You Author:Gabe Polsky
“Sports is like literature. People watch it and if it's beautiful and it's non-violent, whatever messages that you see, people can read into it and say, "Wow! You know what? Whatever they're doing over there, it's extraordinary, and maybe that culture is superior to ours in certain ways."” PeopleIfsKnowsWayBeautifulCertainCultureLiteratureSportsWatchesMessagesExtraordinaryViolentSuperiorsWowNon Violent Author:Gabe Polsky
“If people see North American hockey and they see violence and brutality and it's not so interesting, that sends a message too about your culture.” PeopleIfsCultureInterestingViolenceMessagesHockeyBrutality Author:Gabe Polsky
“People think, sports delivers a message. It's not just about winning and losing, although that's important. It's about other things, too. It demonstrates how it can say certain things about your culture and your society.” PeopleThinkingImportantCertainCultureWinningSportsMessagesLosingWinning And Losing Author:Gabe Polsky
“I found a lot of stuff that's never been seen before. That was the goal: to not use cliché Cold War footage but give people a sense of the place and setting. It's a field you still need. At first it was a lot of fun, and then later it became a little bit intimidating. "Oh my God, I've got so much footage. Where am I going to put it? What am I going to do?" I ended up really only reviewing about 20 to 30 percent of what I had. So it was a task.” PeopleNeedsGivingFirstsLittlesStillsWarUseFoundFunStuffBitsGoalFieldsColdLittle BitPercentTasksSettingSettingsCold WarIntimidating Author:Gabe Polsky
“If you're a skilled player, you want to use your skill, not just hit the puck.” IfsWantUsePlayerSkillsPuck Author:Gabe Polsky
“Anatoli Tarasov, the guy that created the Soviet style of play, was a visionary. He was a creative thinker. He studied ballet and chess and art and read a lot.” ArtPlayGuyCreativeStyleChessThinkerSovietBalletVisionaries Author:Gabe Polsky
“In the U.S., coaches could be the father next door. They had no formal training. They're like old hockey players. They don't go to school and study.” SchoolNextFatherStudyPlayerDoorsTrainingCoachesHockeyFormalHockey Player Author:Gabe Polsky
“There (in the Soviet Union) it was a science. In order to be a coach, you had to study in school.” SchoolOrderStudyUnionsCoachesSovietSoviet Union Author:Gabe Polsky
“I guess the prime example is in North America there's a thing where if there's no opportunity to move forward with the puck, then a [hockey] player is told to dump the puck into the other zone. Just give up the puck and dump it in. Give it to the other team. And to the Soviet mentality in coaching, it just doesn't make any sense. If you're a skilled player, why are you going to give the puck away to the other team? Just give it away, right?” IfsGivingAmericaMovingOpportunityPlayerTeamExampleGiving UpMoving ForwardCoachingZonePrimeHockeySovietMentalityDumpNorth AmericaPuckJust Give UpHockey Player Author:Gabe Polsky
“A lot of what I know as a filmmaker is because of hockey. That's teamwork, and being able to collaborate with people, and be creative with them, and get the most out of everybody. Everyone's got different talents, and you've got to bring out the best of everybody, and use your strengths and work together, and try and evolve it rather than do what was done before you, and to push into new areas.” PeopleKnowsTryingDifferentDoneUseAbleTogetherCreativeTalentAreasEvolveFilmmakerWorking TogetherTeamworkHockeyBe Creative Author:Gabe Polsky
“I've had a lot of coaches in my life, but I've only had a few very good ones. So, I try to take from the best ones and apply those to what I do and think and with anyone I work with in terms of how to motivate people and work with them.” PeopleThinkingTryingTermVery GoodCoaches Author:Gabe Polsky
“I'm writing and putting together my next few things. Even during the Red Army process, I've been writing and developing things, so that now that I'm done and with efforts supporting it throughout this process, I'm armed and ready to go with some things that I'm really passionate about.” WritingDoneTogetherNextProcessEffortReadyRedArmyPassionateDevelopingRed Army Author:Gabe Polsky
“I'm very excited about some of the novels that I have adapted. I think they're equally as powerful, if not more. Going After Cacciato (by Tim O'Brien) is something I'm very passionate about.” IfsThinkingPowerfulNovelPassionateExcitedAdaptedTim O Brien Author:Gabe Polsky
