Overview

• Directed by James Strong, the film chronicles Anna Politkovskaya’s investigative reporting on the Second Chechen War and her 2006 assassination on Vladimir Putin’s birthday.
• Maxine Peake stars as Politkovskaya, delivering a nuanced portrayal of the journalist’s dedication to exposing Russian state abuses despite personal and professional risks.
• The screenplay, written by Eric Poppen, dramatizes key events such as the Dubrovka Theater hostage crisis and the Beslan school siege, emphasizing the costs of speaking truth to power.
• Released during a period of record journalist fatalities, particularly in Gaza in 2024, the film underscores the escalating dangers faced by reporters worldwide.
• The production features a British cast, including Jason Isaacs and Ciarán Hinds, and concludes with a tribute to journalists killed in the pursuit of truth, connecting Politkovskaya’s story to ongoing global struggles for press freedom.