‘Anna Politkovskaya’s persona was a lot higher’. Slain Russian journalist’s sister on ‘Phrases of Battle’

The thriller about slain Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, Phrases of Battle, opens in US cinemas as we speak. The filmmakers took under consideration among the inaccuracy issues concerning the script raised by her household, Politkovskaya’s sister Elena Kudimova instructed the BBC.

The movie is popping out simply in time for the World Press Freedom Day. Phrases of Battle was produced by Sean Penn. Anna Politkovskaya is performed by Maxine Peake, and one of many main male roles is carried out by Jason Isaacs.

Phrases of Battle tells the story of legendary Russian journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya.

In Russia, her identify is synonymous with braveness and an indomitable spirit. She rose to prominence for her investigations into human rights abuses in Chechnya – a area in southern Russia that fought two wars for independence within the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s.

Her older sister, Elena Kudimova, describes her as “somebody who, regardless of all of the threats and the hazard to her life, stored doing her work till the very finish.”

Politkovskaya brazenly criticised the Russian authorities and President Putin himself. Regardless of receiving quite a few threats over time, she refused to again down.

Her sister recollects that whereas Politkovskaya thought of emigration, she at all times modified her thoughts on the final second. She would say: “I am unable to go away as a result of no one else will assist the individuals right here.”

From 1999, Politkovskaya traveled to Chechnya virtually each month for a number of years. Kudimova recollects that for a lot of wronged and determined individuals, Politkovskaya turned “the final resort” – the one who may make issues proper.

She took half within the negotiations for Nord-Ost, the 2002 hostage disaster at a Moscow theatre, after the Chechen rebels particularly requested her.

In 2004, she hoped to assist resolve the disaster in Beslan, the place closely armed militants held hostages in a college for 3 days.

Nonetheless, she by no means made it there – she was poisoned on the airplane whereas en path to Beslan.

In 2006, Politkovskaya was shot lifeless within the elevator of her condominium constructing in Moscow. Six males have been convicted over the homicide, however the one who ordered it has by no means been recognized.

Her sister Elena doubts that the mastermind will ever be dropped at justice. “If they’d needed to seek out him, they most likely would have carried out so by now,” Kudimova provides.

Earlier than the movie’s launch, Politkovskaya’s household raised issues concerning the Phrases of Battle script, believing the movie took too many liberties with the reality.

Whereas the filmmakers insist that the drama is predicated on actual occasions, they emphasise that it’s not a biography.

Nonetheless, Politkovskaya’s sister notes that the filmmakers did take the household’s suggestions under consideration, and sure scenes that raised essentially the most questions have been faraway from the ultimate reduce.

“[Anna’s son] Ilya was portrayed within the authentic script as a kind of womanizer, [and in the film] Anna does not have a romance with [Dmitry] Muratov,” she mentioned.

Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Prize-winning journalist, was Anna Politkovskaya’s former colleague on the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

In keeping with Kudimova, Maxine Peake portrays her sister precisely, although she believes Anna’s character was “a lot higher and extra complicated” than what’s depicted on display.

“Her actual life had way more dramatic episodes than these proven within the movie,” she says.

Kudimova criticised the movie’s setting for leaning too closely into cold-weather clichés.

“I used to be struck by the truth that it is consistently snowing, as if Russia has just one season. In actuality, we have now all 4.” Nonetheless, Kudimova is grateful that the movie helps protect the reminiscence of her sister.

Kudimova mentioned that Anna by no means thought of her personal legacy. She recalled how, in some unspecified time in the future, somebody had steered Anna write an autobiography – she was in her 40s on the time.

Anna had laughed on the thought, saying it felt extra like one thing you do whenever you’re 100. However then she got here up with the thought of writing six brief tales.

On the finish of every, she mentioned, she was speculated to die – however did not, for various causes. And so they have been going to be humorous tales.

When requested about how Anna would wish to be remembered, Elena says that her sister did dot take into consideration her legacy: “She merely needed to reside.”

Phrases of Battle shall be launched within the UK on 30 June