The film written by Stepan Hulik tells the iconic story of the young Czech student who set himself on fire in the center of Prague in January 1969 in the name of freedom, and the legal fight by his family to clear his name in the face of the oppressive communist propaganda machine. The story of his death four days later, the efforts by the communist authorities to discredit his name and the legal fight by the lawyer appointed by his family to clear his name and uncover the truth is told in three parts. 

In a statement, Antony Root, Executive Vice president of Programming and Production, said, "With Burning Bush we are setting a new standard in terms of the scripted drama that we produce. This incredible story from the start of the fight for freedom in Czechoslovakia, brilliantly directed by Agnieszka Holland, is the forerunner of further high quality productions. The wealth of amazing stories that we continue to discover in our region ensures that HBO has many more opportunities to produce the type of event drama that has made the HBO label synonymous with ambitious and distinctive screen entertainment."