Tool Director Matt Ogens Releases Harlem Globetrotters Documentary Short with ESPN

For the next installment of ESPN Films’ award-winning 30 for 30 Shorts series, Tool Director Matt Ogens debuted his short documentary “From Harlem With Love” today at 11:00 AM EDT. Narrated by Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, the 11-minute film is a captivating account of the Harlem Globetrotters’ 1959 trip to the Soviet Union, and shows how the theatrical athletes were able to shine some light on the grim environment of the Cold War.

The Harlem Globetrotters had been invited to bring their crowd-pleasing tricks to a Russian audience, but they received a less-than-enthusiastic response. Then the crowd’s initial indifference gave way to laughter, prompting Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to pay a personal visit to the players.

“Laughter truly has no borders, and the fact that the Globetrotters were able to bring that out in this situation proves that when combined with sports, humor can be quite powerful,” Ogens said of the project.

Matt Ogens is an accomplished filmmaker whose last documentary Confessions of a Superhero gained a cult-like following after screenings at the prestigious SXSW and AFI Film Festivals, eventually going on to enjoy a successful theatrical release under the Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) production banner. The film aired on The Sundance Channel and is one of the most-watched documentaries on Netflix, Hulu, and Snag Films. His latest feature documentary Meet the Hitlers will be released late 2014. Other projects include award winning commercial and interactive campaigns as well as work featured on CNN, VH1, MTV, and more. Ogens has earned 3 Emmy Award nominations.

The documentary premiered on Grantland and can be viewed in its entirety here.

Downloads

Credits

Director: Matt Ogens
Narrator: Tom Morello
Producer: Krista Saponara
MD of Live Action: Oliver Fuselier
MD of Digital: Dustin Callif
EP: Josh Gold
Director Of Photograph: John Tipton
Editor: Xandy Smith
Writer: Charlie Short
Art Director: Kris Davila
Digital Producer: Chris Kaliszewski
Graphics: Matt Gase, Hsin Chen, Clay Weishaar
Colorist, Online Editor: Loren White
Composite: Shinya Sato
Sound Design, Re-Recording Mix: John Iaquinta
Audio Post House: Six Degrees Studios

For Tool of North America
Head of Production: Amy Delossa
Production Coordinator: John Sepulveda
Associate Producer: Allie O’Brien
Post Production Coordinator: Joshua Hamilton

For Harlem Globetrotters
EP: Teri Wagner Flynn
Sr. VP Communications: Brett Meister

For ESPN Films
EPs: John Dahl, Connor Schell, Bill Simmons
Producer: Dan Silver
Consulting Producers: David Cho, Dan Fierman

About Tool:

Bicoastal Tool is an award-winning production company, representing top live-action directors and interactive directors for advertising projects. From funny… visually engaging… and/or interactive, Tool’s diverse roster of unique talent creates unforgettable commercial and digital content across all platforms.