The story of Anya Pavlikova, found guilty of being a member of a subversive terrorist organisation, emphasises Russia’s emergence as a state of fear and coercion. In August 2020, a group of young Moscovites were found guilty of ‘creating an extremist community’. Labelled ‘New Greatness’, the six defendants met in a chatroom where they shared their feelings about the Russian government’s anti-democratic policies. An undercover FSB agent joined the conversation, encouraging more extreme responses and proposing radical action. Anna Shisova’s powerful film details what happened next for Anya and her family, chronicling the pressure placed upon them, alongside Anya’s mother’s unwavering belief in her daughter’s innocence. Ultimately, the film is a chilling portrait of the intensified crackdown on dissent and free expression in Putin’s Russia.
