PREMIERE // Documentary performance on fate of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, on stage of Chisinau-based Mihai Eminescu National Theatre

The Mihai Eminescu National Theatre brings to the stage the documentary performance, People Who Disappear, directed by Luminita Tacu, a production dedicated to Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, one of the most important investigative voices in the post-Soviet space. The premiere will take place on May 12 and 13 and offers an incursion into the destiny of a woman who chose to tell the truth about the war in Chechnya, about abuses and about the price of courage in a society marked by pressure and silence.

“The performance is a documentary monodrama about the life and work of Anna Politkovskaya, who was called the ‘Golden Pen’ of Russia, or a small creature with a big heart. I am glad that we manage to come into the public eye with this material, because these role models must be known. The materials collected for the show are documents, archives and materials published by the journalist. She was a fierce defender of human rights. That is why, her professional path and the way she reported events must be known by all of us. The role of this performance is for the audience to understand how high the cost of courage can be and what the price of freedom is,” said Luminita Tacu.

The journalist comes to life on stage thanks to actress Olga Gutu Triboi, who says that this role is not an easy one at all.

“After many years spent on stage, this performance is for me an experience that divides everything into ‘before’ and ‘after’. It is one of the most difficult and most responsible roles I have had, because I am not just the actress who plays a character, but also a voice of memory and a witness to events that concern us directly as well. The war near us, fear and uncertainty are part of the reality we live today, and it is dangerous to get used to this tragedy. The message of the show is simple and powerful: each person matters and each voice can change something. Even a single person can make a difference. What matters is not to remain silent and not to let others decide in your place,” Olga Gutu Triboi told MOLDPRES.

The documentary performance is increasingly in demand, and the theatre hall becomes overcrowded when stories that touch on sensitive realities are told on stage, said the director of the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre, Petru Hadarca. According to him, the production of People Who Disappear combines documentary elements, testimonies and reflections on freedom of expression, the responsibility of journalists and the courage to confront oppressive systems.

“For us, it is important that the public responds to these performances and that documentary theatre comes to fill the halls. After the shows dedicated to famine and deportations, we have now chosen to address the fate of the press and the courage of journalists who had the strength to tell the truth, even in the most difficult conditions. The case of Anna Politkovskaya speaks not only about journalism, but also about the responsibility of each of us in a democratic society, where freedom must be defended permanently. We chose this topic also in the context of the war in Ukraine, of the realities we are living today and of the need to discuss truth, manipulation and freedom of expression. The performance is built together with Olga Gutu Triboi, who brings this story to life on stage, and for us it is important that audiences come not only to watch, but also to engage in dialogue and to seek together answers to the sensitive questions of the present,” Petru Hadarca told the Agency.

Theatre critic Maria Pilchin believes that the documentary performance, People Who Disappear, is more than an artistic production, becoming a reflection on truth, manipulation and the courage to call things by their name.

“We live in an era in which the press and media products have an enormous impact on society, sometimes even stronger than the written text. In the context, I believe that theatre can become an important instrument in combating falsehood and defending truth and a documentary show like ‘People Who Disappear’ assumes precisely this mission. The performance is not only a documentary reconstruction, but also a deeply artistic product, in which Olga Gutu Triboi portrays with sensitivity and strength both the courageous journalist Anna Politkovskaya and the person behind the public image – the woman who longed for a normal life, but chose to fight against abuse and dictatorship. It is not a show of artistic comfort, but one of awareness. By understanding Anna Politkovskaya’s destiny, we may succeed in better understanding what has happened to us over the last decades,” said Maria Pilchin.

Anna Politkovskaya (1958–2006) was a Russian investigative journalist and writer, known for her reports on the war in Chechnya and for her harsh criticism of the abuses committed by the authorities in the post-Soviet period.

She worked for the newspaper Novaya Gazeta, one of the few independent editorial offices in Russia, where she published investigations into corruption, human rights violations and war crimes. Her journalistic style was based on direct documentation, interviews with victims and an empathetic approach to people affected by the conflict.

Politkovskaya became one of the most vocal critics of the war in Chechnya, reporting in detail on abuses against civilians, torture, enforced disappearances and conditions in conflict areas. For these investigations she was frequently threatened, intimidated and even detained.

On October 7, 2006, she was assassinated in Moscow, in the stairwell of the building where she lived. Her death triggered strong international reactions and raised serious questions about press freedom and the safety of journalists in Russia.