The co-producer of the film is the Latvian producers’ association “Forma Pro Films”. The creators intend that Anna will show the path of a woman, how she becomes a human rights activist from a journalist of a local newspaper.
She worked for the newspaper “Novaya gazeta” and was widely known for her articles on events in Chechnya and the North Caucasus, as well as active criticism of the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin. On October 7, 2006, Politkovsky was shot in the stairwell of her home in Moscow.
The main role is played by the British actress Maxine Peake. In the feature film “The Theory of Everything”, she played the second wife of the famous scientist Stephen Hawking. “Anna” is directed by the British James Strong, who has created television series.
In the House of Congress, the events of 2002 are reenacted, when Chechen fighters captured more than 900 spectators and actors of the musical “Nord Ost” in Moscow’s Dubrovka theater, including a family from Latvia that survived.
The crisis ended when militia special forces filled the building with an unknown gas to neutralize attackers who threatened to blow up the building if Russia did not withdraw its troops from Chechnya. During the liberation operation, 130 hostages and 40 terrorists lost their lives, 800 hostages were freed.
Producer Igors Pronin points out that, taking into account the situation with the war started by Russia in Ukraine, discussions were held together with the representatives of the Riga City Council on how to film these scenes so as not to create risks of potential provocation.
According to the producer, the filmmakers had to take into account the fact that the House of Congress is located opposite the Russian embassy – if the actors in the uniforms of the Russian police or special forces were seen on the street, it could be photographed or filmed, using these materials to create fake news.
The scenes outside the Congress building were filmed, removing any identifying marks from the costumes and Russian license plates from the cars. Now these works have ended, and filming continues in the premises of the house. It is planned to be completed in early February.
