A Bitter Taste of Freedom
(88 minutes)  Russia/Sweden/USA

Director/Producer: Marina Goldovskaya

Description:
In her fearless quest to uncover the wrongdoings of the Russian state, Anna Politkovskaya inspired awe in some and fear in countless others. An investigative journalist for Moscow’s liberal Novaya Gazeta, she was often the only spokesperson for victims of the Russian government. At age forty-eight she was assassinated for simply doing her job. This documentary feature is based on unique footage of Anna’s conversations with filmmaker Marina Goldovskaya, Anna’s former university professor and friend. Shot over a period of twenty years, the film shows the incredible story of a woman who gave her life for her convictions.

Biography:
Marina Goldovskaya is a Russian born documentary cinematographer famed for her candid portrayal of people. She has made thirty-two documentary films and more than one hundred programs for Russian, Austrian, French, German and American television. Marina was the first Russian filmmaker to introduce a personal diary style in the documentary genre to describe the social changes in Russia and how they affected the lives of the people. She used this style in The Shattered Mirror and in Lucky to Be Born In Russia, which chronicled the emotions of Russians living through the turmoil of perestroika culminating in the putsch of October 1993. The Shattered Mirror (ARTE, France) was honored with Prix Italia, the Golden Gate award in San Francisco and the Golden Hugo in Chicago. In 1996 Marina, a tenured professor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, created a public forum for documentaries by organizing the Documentary Salon Series.

Contact Information:
GoldFilms
E-mail: goldfilms@adelphia.net
Web site: www.goldfilms.org