Alex Herbst is the last living pilot of the remarkable No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. He completed 141 combat missions on the legendary Spitfire fighter plane, including a mission during the Allied invasion of Normandy. Officially declared dead, he survived being shot down several times. In recognition of his bravery and achievements he was awarded a Cross of Valour three times, along with a number of British decorations. He’s 95 and lives in Seattle.
“I was inspired by the extraordinary story of his life,” says Sławomir Ciok, the director and producer of the film. “Alex is also an incredible personality. He’s up to date with the world, he’s resourceful, intelligent and charming.”
The film was shot in the US, Poland, UK and France. Thanks to an agreement for distribution with Silver Sword International, the picture will be shown all over the world. “We’re addressing this movie to a wide audience, regardless of the viewer’s nationality, language and historical or personal experience. It’s a story of a man brought up in the spirit of romantic patriotic ideals, who went off to war to fight for his country over foreign soil. A man who was later disillusioned and could not find his place in the changed, post-War reality. He felt redundant in Britain and could not go back to Poland. As a result, he began a new, happy life in the United States,” explains the director.
For many years Warsaw Chopin Airport has been supporting projects aimed at promoting the knowledge about the history of Polish aviation and successes of Polish airmen. The airport became involved in the production and promotion of the film “Spitfire Liberator: The Alex Herbst Story” as one of the two strategic partners, alongside Bank Zachodni WBK.
“For more than 80 years the airport has been an important part of the history of Polish aviation. We feel responsible for cultivating the memory of people and events that made our aviation famous. This movie serves precisely such purpose and we are very proud to be able to give it our backing,” says Michał Kaczmarzyk, director of Chopin Airport.
The film will be originally released in the full-length theatrical version and later in the TV version. Distribution will begin in Spring 2015 with official theatre premieres in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Toronto and London. Finally, the film will be released in Poland.
Source: Warsaw Chopin Airport
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