During last week a new documentary by Marina Goldovskaya, an acclaimed Russian filmmaker, was screening at the International Film Center in New York City. It is called “A Bitter Taste of Freedom” and its main character is Anna Politkovskaya, a prominent Russian investigative journalist who was killed in Moscow in October 2006.
Goldovskaya’s documentary gives an intimate portrait of Politkovskaya who was mostly famous for her stories about the Chechen war focusing on the tragedies of ordinarysimple Chechens people who suffered from the war and criticizing the Russian army and special services for their numerous atrocities. Sometimes her stories were too emotional and personal, and many, including her colleagues, would reproach her for losing objectiveness. Still, she was one of very few journalists who would constantly raise voice and draw attention to the disastrous situation in Chechnya. And no doubt she was a very annoying and uncomfortable figure for the current Russian government who puts a lot of efforts to cover up the deterioration in the North Caucasus region.
Her murder had a numbing and somewhat symbolic effect. It meant that in Russia journalists are not offered any protection in their sometimes very dangerous professional work. Almost five years later, Politkovskaya’s assassination remains unsolved. Although, a few days ago, one of Russian police officers was arrested on suspicion of organizing the murder. One of the alleged three killers was arrested in May, 2011. It would be worth mentioning that they all had already been tried and cleared of all charges by Moscow court in 2009, but the Supreme Court of Russia called off this decision and remitted the case to a new examination.
The documentary doesn’t look into the investigation or the circumstances of the murder. Neither does it give any clear reasons why she was murdered. But it does have a personal outlook of Politkovskaya, showing her as a wife, mother, friend and an idealistic person devoted to helping people in need with all her heart.
“A Bitter Taste of Freedom” will be screening in Los-Angeles for the next week until September 1st.
