About The Film

VACLAV NEDOMANSKY defected from Czechoslovakia in 1974 during the height of the Cold War. He was the first hockey player to escape from a Communist country and play in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Named the Best Hockey Player Ever from Czechoslovakia by ‘The Hockey News’, Vaclav’s story is an epic journey into the unknown. He risked his life, the life of his family, and left everything behind for a better life. Hunted by KGB spies. Tracked by the FBI and the Mossad.

Erased from history in his homeland.

A man on the run. A man without a country. He broke through the Iron Curtain only to face his biggest adversaries and challenges in the land of opportunity. Vaclav changed the game of hockey forever.

BIG NED will reveal Vaclav’s incredible story for the first time in his own words. This dramatic true tale combines sports, politics, espionage, corruption, and life-changing events that played out on a global stage. Archive footage, photos, interviews, audio and original animation will help tell the story.

Until now, Vaclav Nedomansky has turned down every offer to participate in documentary films or written biographies about his life.

We have gained unprecedented access to all his stories and own the exclusive rights to share his heroics on and off the ice, the escape, the promise of a better life and the betrayal committed by his closest allies.

Filming is taking place across the USA, Canada and Europe. Besides archival footage, worldwide media articles, animations and re-creations, Vaclav is sharing his never before seen photographs, films and videos that document his harrowing journey from Communist Europe to North America and beyond…

This is the true story of Big Ned’s dramatic journey from behind the Iron Curtain into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

OFFICIAL MOVIE POSTER

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Movie Poster Art by Matt Needle