Slain Russian writer in new film

A new documentary about the murdered Russian investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya contrasts starkly with other red-carpet events at the Berlin Film Festival, the BBC's Tristana Moore reports.

Politkovskaya's reports exposed alleged abuses of power by officials

The premiere of Eric Bergkraut's documentary Letter to Anna, at the Berliner Ensemble Theatre, attracted its fair share of stars, including Catherine Deneuve. But there was a sombre atmosphere.

Cinema For Peace - an international charity gala and a platform for peace and tolerance at the Berlin festival - is not for an audience of popcorn-eaters.

"How come I am still alive? When I really think about it, it's a miracle," - the words of Ms Politkovskaya haunt the documentary about her life.

The film, narrated by Susan Sarandon in the English version, is based on interviews with the journalist and other conversations with her friends, relatives and colleagues.

'Courageous'

Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in the lift of her apartment block in Moscow in October 2006. She was a fierce critic of human rights abuses in the Chechnya war.

She stood for values that she believed were of the utmost importance and she paid an ultimate price Garry Kasparov Russian opposition activist

Swiss director Bergkraut met Ms Politkovskaya while he was making another film about Chechnya, called Coca: The Dove from Chechnya.

"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 journalist's son, Ilya Politkovsky, said he still was hoping that his mother's killers would be brought to justice.

"It is really important for me to see my mother laughing in the film, walking around, as a normal person, a normal mother, not a soldier," Ilya said.

"I am sure there will be an outcome of this investigation. I am hoping that the whole story will come out, from the people or person who ordered the killing, to the killer," he said.

'Cover-up'

Russian opposition activist Garry Kasparov - a former world chess champion - also attended the premiere of the film.

Mr Kasparov says the Politkovskaya investigation is a "mockery"

"I think it's very important that the story of Anna Politkovskaya is presented from different angles," Mr Kasparov said.

"The film includes her own words, those who supported her and loved her, and the villains who hated her, and most likely were behind her horrible murder... she stood for values that she believed were of the utmost importance and she paid an ultimate price.

"We have seen no tangible results yet from the investigation into the murder of Anna Politkovskaya. I think the investigation is another mockery and cover-up that Putin's regime uses to hide its real intentions," he said.

Bergkraut said he did not set out to discover who was behind the journalist's murder.

At the end of the documentary, there is no answer to her son's question: who gave the orders?