▁this ▁ordinary ▁couple ▁made ▁a ▁huge ▁difference ▁in ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁other ▁cou ples ." ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly , ▁F irth ▁spoke ▁of ▁his ▁surprise ▁as ▁to ▁how ▁many ▁had ▁not ▁known ▁of ▁Richard ▁and ▁M ild red ' s ▁story . ▁He ▁also ▁stated , ▁" So ▁I ▁shared ▁the ▁idea ▁with ▁my ▁friend ▁[ D oh ert y ], ▁who ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁music ▁industry , ▁and ▁that ' s ▁what ▁started ▁us ▁off ▁as ▁produ cers ." ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁after ▁a ▁successful ▁K ick st arter ▁campaign , ▁Bu ir ski ' s ▁The ▁L oving ▁Story ▁was ▁shown ▁at ▁the ▁Full ▁Frame ▁Document ary ▁Film ▁Festival , ▁before ▁a ▁release ▁of ▁February ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁on ▁H BO , ▁to ▁which ▁it ▁received ▁universal ▁acc laim . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁after ▁watching ▁Take ▁Sh elter ▁( 2 0 1 1 ), ▁produ cers ▁Col in ▁F irth , ▁Ged ▁D oh ert y ▁and ▁Nancy ▁Bu ir ski ▁approached ▁director ▁Jeff ▁Nich ols , ▁as ▁they ▁believed ▁him ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁perfect ▁writer ▁and ▁director ▁for ▁the ▁project . ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁introduced ▁to ▁Bu ir ski ' s ▁document ary ▁The ▁L oving ▁Story ▁( 2 0 1 1 ), ▁to ▁which ▁Nich ols ▁himself ▁immediately ▁found ▁emot ional ▁and ▁narr ative ▁attach ments ▁to ▁Richard ▁and ▁M ild red ,