SUNDANCE NOW ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE MARCH 8 U.S. STREAMING PREMIERE OF THE CREATIVE, POLITICAL AND HILARIOUS DOCUMENTARY, “LIBERATION DAY”

“Funny, thoughtful, knowingly absurd.” – Variety

“Extraordinary…the strangest North Korean tale yet.” –

The Guardian

SUNDANCE NOW ANNOUNCES EXCLUSIVE MARCH 8 U.S. STREAMING PREMIERE OF THE CREATIVE, POLITICAL AND HILARIOUS DOCUMENTARY, “LIBERATION DAY”

LOS ANGELES, CA – February 27, 2018– Sundance Now, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service, announces the March 8^th premiere of “Liberation Day,” a documentary feature directed by Morten Traavik and Ugis Olte that explores what happens when music and politics combine.

Premiering exclusively on Sundance Now in the U.S. following its premiere at New York City’s Film Forum, this astonishing, stranger-than-fiction documentary musical follows the ex-Yugoslavian -- now Slovenian -- cult band Laibach who becomes the first rock group ever to perform in the fortress state of North Korea.

Confronting strict ideology and cultural differences, the band struggles to get their songs through the needle’s eye of censorship before they can be unleashed on an audience never-before-exposed to alternative rock music. Meanwhile, propaganda loudspeakers are being set up at the border between the two Koreas and a countdown to war is announced.

“Liberation Day,” is a unique blend of politics, music, and culture, offering a sharp look at current world issues through a truly original lens,” said Jan Diedrichsen, General Manager, SundanceTV and Sundance Now. “This smart content exploring music and politics, censorship and cultural differences will certainly resonate with our thoughtful Sundance Now members.”

About The Band - LAIBACH

35 years on from their genesis in the then-Yugoslavian industrial town Trbovlje, Laibach are still the most internationally acclaimed band to have come out of the former Communist countries of Eastern and Central Europe. Founded in 1980, the death year of the country’s founding father Tito, and rising to fame as Yugoslavia steered towards self-destruction, Laibach have consistently opposed labels of any kind, be they “rock”, “pop”, “techno” or “industrial”. Self-defined engineers of human souls, Laibach can make you think, dance and march to the same music.

About The Directors

Morten Traavik

Morten Traavik is a Norwegian director and artist working across a wide spectrum of artistic

genres and international borders. Trained as theater director in Russia and Sweden, the notion of the world as a stage and identity as role play is never far away in his works, as well as a

characteristically blurred distinction between art, activism and social issues. His beauty pageants for landmine survivors, Miss Landmine Angola (2008) and Miss Landmine Cambodia (2009) made headlines and fueled discussions across the world. He is also renowned for a series of controversial collaborations with North Korean artists and cultural authorities, as well as being an authorized cultural affairs liaison for that country.

Ugis Olte

Ugis Olte is a Latvian director and editor who enjoys staying playful when dealing with serious

subjects. Equipped with senses of a musician and a belief that dreams, myths and fairy-tales can

be useful tools for telling any contemporary story, he has created numerous original TV formats, music videos, ads and also 3 short fiction films - The Red Spot, KK2678 and King Of The Wild Things. His efforts in documentary genre have resulted in two films - Stuck in Stikine (2007) and Double Aliens (2015), premiered at last year’s IDFA mid-length competition.

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About Sundance Now                                 

Sundance Now is AMC Networks’ premium streaming service, offering original and exclusive dramas, comedies, and true crime series, in addition to award-winning movies from every genre, including foreign-language and documentary features – all streaming commercial-free. Built on the Sundance legacy and curated by acclaimed filmmakers and cultural icons, Sundance Now is proud to present an extensive array of entertainment for a passionate and intellectually curious audience. 

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