Hollywood cinematographers Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond could have made a film of their lives. Instead, here is one made in tribute, a documentary that reads like a thriller.

Hungarians Kovacs and Zsigmond both studied film in their homeland, and Zsigmond had established a career in cinematography when, in 1956, their world was shattered by Soviet tanks as Russia invaded Hungary. Risking their lives, the duo borrowed a camera and filmed the events on the streets of Budapest.

As the country succumbed to Soviet control they smuggled the film out of Hungary, fleeing to America and settling in Hollywood. In their adopted land the pair began making cheap horror and biker flicks before working on classics such as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

This film - with contributions from famous directors and actors, including Dennis Hopper, as well as Zsigmond and Kovacs (interviewed before his death in 2007) serves as a tribute to the men's skill, bravery and life-long friendship.