Vaclav Havel honors "Letter to Anna"

Anna Politkovskayas family, Eric Bergkraut and Catherine Deneuve


Premier in the Berliner Ensemble with Regisseur Eric Bergkraut and Garri Kasparov

We would like to inform you that the Cinema for Peace co-produced Documentary ‘Letter to Anna’ has been presented with the ‘Audience Award’ at the One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival 2008 in Prague.
The festival, whose jury's honorary chairman is former Czech president Vaclav Havel, honours films that make an exceptional contribution to the protection of human rights.
The jury praised the film ‘Letter to Anna’ as a complex portrait of Anna Politkovskaya, a journalist and human rights fighter who was among the critics of the ‘second Chechen war’, condemning the massacre of civilians by the Russian military and the way in which President Vladimir Putin's rule gradually brought the country back to dictatorship.
Havel, a former leading Czech anti-Communist dissident, said Politkovskaya's fate amounted to a drama of Russian democracy.
We share director Eric Bergkraut´s happiness in his achievement, and are honoured to be an active partner in the making of this Documentary.

Together with the Chenchen activist Zainap Gaschayewa, the Swiss filmmaker Eric Bergkraut received the ‘International Human Rights Film Award 2007’ from Amnesty International and Cinema for Peace at the Cinema for Peace Gala in Berlin in February last year. From the stage, Cinema for Peace promised to be an active partner with Eric Bergkraut in producing a Documentary about the murder of Anna Politkovskaja.
The Documentary presents the story of this woman´s personal dedication and struggle for justice, but also draws a telling picture of the political situation in Russia towards the end of Putin´s second term. The case of Politkovskaja is highly symbolic and casts a shadow on the development of democracy in Russia. "Anna does not die in the film, freedom dies... she is very much alive, she is even funny. She was severe with herself and with the truth. I really felt a kind of obligation to tell her story, I had the footage," said Bergkraut. "Anna had a lot of courage... maybe to see a woman who is very courageous looking for the truth may help us all be more courageous," he added.
The premiere of ‘Letter to Anna’ was held at the Berliner Ensemble on February 10th 2008, one day before the Cinema for Peace Gala. The screening was attended by Anna Politkovskaya´s family, Russian Opposition leader Garry Kasparov, Catherine Deneuve (who spoke the French narration), former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and Bob Geldof.
The Documentary was also shown on German television, on the ARD and 3SAT channels, on February 20th 2008.

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