Anna (a.k.a. Mother Russia)
A powerful and inspiring thriller about one ordinary woman’s journey from local print journalist to international human rights hero, ANNA chronicles Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya’s brave crusade to expose the corruption of the Russian state under Vladimir Putin, focusing on the genocide in Chechnya.
RELEASING 2024
PRODUCER: Miriam Segal
SCREENPLAY: Eric Poppen
DIRECTOR: James Strong
STARRING: Maxine Peake, Ciarán Hinds, Jason Isaacs
Naomi Battrick, Ellie Bamber, Harry Lawtey
BUDGET: $9,000,000
SUMMARY
A powerful and inspiring thriller about one ordinary woman’s journey from local print journalist to international human rights hero, ANNA chronicles Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya’s brave crusade to expose the corruption of the Russian state under Vladimir Putin, focusing on the genocide in Chechnya.
At a historical moment when Putin ended the freedom of the press in Russia, Anna Politkovskaya braved the Chechen killing fields, multiple death threats, being detained, and beaten in order to get the truth of Putin’s atrocities out to the Russian people. As her domestic and international profile grew, she became the symbol of hope for many freedom-fighting Chechen rebels. When they took hostages at the Dubrovka Theater, Anna was requested to mediate.
Putin saw Anna as a constant threat and did all he could to prevent her reporting what she saw. Nevertheless, she persisted, putting aside family and her own well-being to become a national hero. Ultimately, Putin had her executed, but her contribution to the freedom of the press lives on.
