Hot Docs 2008

Anna Politkovskaya was living dangerously close to the edge. An uncompromising journalist, she was an openly fierce critic of Vladimir Putin's regime. Her dedication to the oppressed took her into the heart of the Chechen War. Her unwavering fight for justice fueled her scathing exposés of a corrupt government. She pleaded for the world's attention. And someone was listening. On October 7, 2006, Anna Politkovskaya was shot to death in the stairwell of her apartment building. The film presents an insightful investigation not only of a scandalous crime, but of how far political figures may go in order to sustain their own power. Even more vividly, however, Letter to Anna celebrates the life of an extraordinary woman and mother, a fearless defender of the people, "the conscience of Russia."
-Myrocia Watamaniuk

Co-presented with Canadian Journalists for Free Expression