Quiet on this side! Welcome to Media Makers Spotlight from Women in Film and Video in Washington, D.C. We bring you conversations with industry professionals for behind the screens, insight and inspiration. When Sean Penn puts his name behind a project, you know it will be a powerful story with a lesson.
In this case, it's about press freedom. I'm your host, Sandra Abrams, and in this episode, we'll discuss a new film, Words of War. It tells the story of Russian-American journalist Anna... which I probably mispronounced. She put her life on the line by covering the atrocities of the Chetnian War. She was assassinated near her apartment in Moscow on October 7, 2006, the same day as Vladimir Putin's birthday. to talk about this new film, Press Freedom and Journalism.
is one of the film's producer, Mark Maxey. Mark is a writer, director, and Emmy-winning film producer and president of Rolling Picture. Previously to this project, he worked on a number of films, including the documentary Up to Snuff. Plus, along with me, he is a board member of Women in Film and Video. So I'm very excited to have one of our own here to talk to about this picture. Welcome to Media Maker Spotlight, Mark. Thank you, Sandra.
So I read in your production statement that when Miriam Siegel brought this information to you, you were surprised 1,800 journalists had been killed. And you were like, I never heard this before and I want to learn more. So what was that conversation? First of all, how did you meet Miriam Siegel? And what was those conversations like where you said, OK, I'm interested in doing this project as a producer?
Yeah, she and I were connected through a mutual friend who's also a producer on this Kia jam. He had put us together. Miriam is from the UK. She's British. I'm based here. And, um, you know, this was a story that she had found, I think when Anna had been assassinated or murdered Miriam.
clipped out the, you know, the obituary that it appeared in the newspaper and saved it. And then it found a screenwriter who researched the story and put the screenplay together. So, you know, when it came to me, the project was a fully formed story. And I was really just amazed that this is something that better known or better understood. I had heard about, you know, there's a couple of journalists who have been killed that
kind of cedes him to, you know, I think the public's consciousness, uh, Daniel Pearl. Yeah. I was one book right here. Cause I did work in New York as a print person and, uh, they came and did this book and did a talk. I was a member of the New York Financial Writers Association. So, yeah. So Danny Pearl, I mean, that I think was the first, it really. came to consciousness before yes murder and then khashoggi was another you know very high profile but you know it was staggering to to learn that
You know, since just the beginning of this century, just in the last 24 years, 1,800 journalists have lost their lives pursuing this story. That's just a... It's really an overwhelming number. And Anna's story, it kind of symbolizes this whole issue of the dangers that journalists face in the 21st century and the reprisals and danger that you could come under for speaking truth to power.
This isn't just a Russian story. This is a story that affects journalists all over the world, including here in the US. So it's a different time.
for journalists today and we so desperately need people who have the courage to truthfully share what's happening in the world with the rest of us so that we have an informed electorate and know what's going on you know the washington post I used to say that democracy dies in darkness, and I think that's increasingly proving that to be true, as our freedoms are challenged or curtailed or the constitution limits are tested.
You know, journalists are the ones that we depend on to, you know, make sure that we're aware of what's going on in the world and can change it if it needs to be changed. Right. And that was something you had said in your. Production notes, and I just thought it was so powerful, her murder exemplifies the grave threats journalists endure and lengths to which authoritarian forces will go to suppress the truth.
Yes. And whether you're a journalist or whatever your profession is, everyone should have the right to do their job without fear of death or reprisal. That's really it. you know, an underlying theme of this story. And one of the messages that we hope we can convey by sharing this film with the world. So now Eric Poppin is the screenwriter. So he had already had the script. Marion, came to you. I know that when I had initially talked to you, this was about a year and a half ago.
When we were leaving a WIF board meeting, I believe, you were showing the film at the National Press Club the next day. And I think at that time it was called Mother Russia. And then the name changed, Words of War. Can you talk about that? You know, were you involved in that decision? What was those conversations like?
Yes. Yeah. So, you know, finding that the right title is important. So the screenplay was written as Mother Russia, and that was the working title for the film while we were in production. I think there was some concern that perhaps trying to... To market a story called Mother Russia made it sound like something that perhaps it isn't. So this is a story looking at.
what happened to this Russian American journalist for speaking truth to power. And we were sure the mother Russia really encapsulated that. Words of War seemed to be a much more appropriate title. You know, she's a journalist. Words are her sword. And that's what she used to really.
spotlight the atrocities that she uncovered of what was happening in this case to the people of Chepstein. You know, things evolve when you make a film and titles evolve. And I think this is one where that change perhaps better represents. the nature of what the story is that we're trying to share. You have an amazing cast here. I just want to go through it. I mean, they all have a slew of awards. They've got TV experience, theater experience, film experience, Maxine P.
I know I saw her way back when, when she was in Agatha Christie, especially because my grandparents were British. And so, you know, I definitely follow all the British. shows and everything and she was in silk and then she plays lead of anna Jacek Isaac, who has just finished his run of season three with The White Lotus, plays her husband, Sasha. Kieran Hines, who I think is just fabulous.
He was in Munich. He was in Belfast. He plays her editor, Dimitri. James Strong, who I saw has also directed some episodes of Downton Abbey, close to my heart.
But you just have amazing people. What was that casting like with that? And tell us, what was your involvement as a producer for that? Yeah, so the casting, pretty much, it's an all-British cast. Our approach to this... um was i kind of acquainted irish so just correct yes although it's all uk cash uh cast forgive me so uh yes he's irish i think he's living in france at the moment but yes
Uh, so, um, it's a very UK, it's a very European cast. And our thought was if there was a film years ago with Sean Connery, where he played a Russian submarine commander. In that film, we know he's a Russian submarine commander, but he sounds like Sean Connery, and we just... believe that this must be what Russians sound like within the context of this story. What we didn't want is people trying to speak in some You know, broken English, Russian American kind of sounding accent that just.
I think kind of detracted from the authenticity of the story. We wanted the focus to be in the story, not on the accents or the speech. So there was a conscious choice that anyone that has more than one line of dialogue. is going to be English and sound like they're from the UK. So that way everyone sounds consistent. The only exception of that in the film are scenes where we're actually talking to people who then speak Inception and then we subtitle that accordingly because of
If the world around us is all speaking in Russian, then that would need subtitles. So that was the approach. It's a UK production, really. I mean, UK is the country of origin for the film. We filmed it on location in Latvia. Uh, so look very authentically Russian, but the cast are all from the United Kingdom and they're just, they're brilliant each in their own right. And you know, the people you mentioned it.
uh ian hart and ben miles and there's so many others who were yes from the crown or from you know have all these amazing bodies of work uh several people from harry potter uh you know karen was also lucius uh malfoy Yep. And then Ian Hart, who's our antagonist in the film, was the bad guy in the very first Harry Potter movie, Professor Quirrell. Harry had to kill him again. So it's...
You know, and actually Karen, I think was the last Harry Potter movie playing Dumbledore's part. There's a lot of connections there. And it was just wonderful being surrounded by actors of that caliber, you know, bringing these roles to life. And they were all remarkable. Maxine Peek, who's perhaps less known to US audiences, although I think
Increasingly, she'll become better now. She was in The Theory of Everything, where she played Stephen Hawking's wife, which was a film that had come out here a few years back and has just been cast in an Apple TV series that will be coming out. So you'll be hearing more from her. Hannah, at that press club screening that you had referenced earlier, where we showed it to some journalists in DC. There was a journalist in the audience who had been stationed in Moscow and knew Anna personally.
came up after and said he had goosebumps because Maxine did such an amazing job of capturing Anna's spirit and voice and courage and physically she resembles Anna as well. So he was really moved by. the portrayals in the film and how authentic and real it felt and praised Maxine's job bringing Anna back to life. It was really a beautiful thing. Speaking of people who knew Anna, her editor in real life, Dmitry Murtvov.
He was your editor-in-chief of this particular Russian publication until November 2017. He also was attacked as well, but he's still alive. Did you ever have a chance to speak with him to get any insight? Or did Eric Poppin, the screenwriter, speak with him? to put more of Anna and to make sure they captured her? I have not spoken with him and I can't speak for the writer for what he did in his research. He was in touch with different people from Anna's family.
her world. But Dimitri in real life is just a remarkable person as well. You know, Anna was one of, I believe, seven journalists who worked for him at the Navajo Gazeta who were murdered writing things that the government did not. or what shared with the public. And Dimitri himself, in 2022 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And that was the same year that Russia invaded Ukraine. And he wanted to do something to help the children of Ukraine who had been orphaned by the war with Russia.
So he auctioned off his Nobel Prize for charity and donated all that money to them. And I believe you could fact check me if I have it wrong, but I believe his Nobel Prize was auctioned off for more than $130 million. So I mean, what a remarkable person to have that. that big of a heart to make that big of an impact on children who were adversely affected by
Russia's aggression towards the Ukrainian people. You know, I think each of the people in this story are just really remarkable in their own right. Oh, it's true. I did read about he had auctioned that often. What a tremendous, compassionate, and humanitarian thing to do for the children. I wanted to ask you, so you were already working on this film and you had the director, you had the script. So I read Sean Penn came in about 2023.
So can you share the backstory about his involvement and with the congressman as well? How did Sean Penn become involved? Sure. So I can't imagine talking to him. So please get any information. He's amazing. And he's been a good friend to us on this. So we started principal photography. On location in Lavia in November of 2022, and we finish principal photography at the end of January 2023.
By that fall, we had a rough cut of the film and I had shared it with my friend, Congressman Swalwell from California. This is an issue that matters to him. He's the member of Congress that introduced the Journalism Protection Act. He wanted to make aggression towards journalists to make that equal to a hate crowd where journalists are more protected. because of the dangers that they face. So
The fact that he had introduced the Journalism Protection Act really made this story resonate with him, and he had shared it with Sean. Sean was his friend. And when Sean, you know, heard about this, he, I was contacted, we asked a range of screening and when Sean saw the rough cut, he. He said, how can I help? What can I do? And so he joined the team as an executive producer.
Yeah. No, you can't ask for any better advocate right there. Yeah. And so when we did that screening for the journalists at the National Press Club last year, he came out and introduced the film. Congressman Swalwell was on the panel. following the film along with the legendary journalist Bob Woodward from the Washington Post and John Brennan, the former CIA director and national security advisor.
So they had a panel discussion following the film, which was really just amazing to hear them talk about these people and the subjects that were raised in the film and relate that to what's going on in the world today. So, yeah, Sean's been a huge help just kind of raising the visibility for the film and the story. I've made other films and they're entertaining and fun or a good date night movie in one case.
But none really felt important in the way that this feels important. This is more than just entertainment. I feel like. you know, sharing him a story, sharing this film, Words of War. It is really more of almost an impact campaign where we want people to not only be entertained by an engaging political thriller type film.
that kind of tells her story and pulls you into this world. But that also you leave with a better understanding of the importance of journalists and the dangers that they face and why we need them, why we should protect them. not persecute them. And hopefully this helps kind of elevate the debate and awareness and stimulate some conversations around this issue and have an impact.
And to that end, with the film, Rolling Pictures is committed to donate a portion of its proceeds from the film to support a couple organizations that help journalists. There's a group in New York called the Committee to Protect Journalists. that for over 50 years has done an amazing job as a resource and support and lifeline for journalists that are sometimes in very dangerous situations.
And then here in the Washington DC area, the National Press Club has established the Freedom Center, which is another resource for journalists based here. We'll be donating a portion of the Words of Horrors box office proceeds to those two causes so that the film hopefully helped.
helps support journalists who are still alive and fighting the fight and carrying on in his legacy through their own work. It's all the more reason for people to go out and support the film, you know, and this happened in 2006. You know, and I was like, what's happening recently? You know, I used to be a print reporter. Then I was a TV producer in New York, but also here and sometimes at the White House, sometimes on the Hill.
I can imagine what's happening now because we're in such uncertain times for journalists. Not only are government workers losing their job, but the FOIA offices at these various places. I just read the CDC, the FDA, the FOIA offices have been closed down. And these are resources that journalists and anybody, you know, any member of the public can use, but resources that I have used.
to find out more information about a story. I just think, you know, it's so unthinkable of what's happening now, you know, because of given the fact that. you know, we have freedom of the press written into our constitution. Yes. Although, you know, it seems like each week there's some headline or some story about some new attack on journalists. I saw it just today.
member of Congress who had advocated for violence against journalists that they thought were disloyal or writing things that they didn't approve of. And we've had journalists that have you know, banned from the White House or can't cover what's happening because they're not writing things that are favorable to a certain viewpoint or political ideology.
You know, this film is not political. It's not about any politician. It's not about any candidates or office holder. I mean, the issue definitely does, you know, deal with. You know, this kind of authoritarian dictatorship leaning type of activity that, you know, journalists are one of the things that dictators target. There is not a free press in Russia. There's not a free press in other countries.
You know, things are censored, things are filtered by a government that only wants the public to know what they want them to know and not what's actually going on. So that's something that we've been very, I think, fortunate here in. In the Western world, to have a free press and to see those freedoms being curtailed in this way is really sobering and shocking. And Anna was killed in 2006 and yet this story.
It feels so timely. It feels like this is just the right time to bring words of war to audiences and remind them of these issues and what's going on in the world. Oh, it's true, the transparency, because that's something here. We've always been used to having that transparency. And now we feel like, wait a minute, somebody's trying to stop us from having that ability to give transparency and to give facts.
Yeah. And this is also a story of courage. I mean, that's the other thing is that, you know, journalists, my picture of journalists is maybe. You know, people on the typewriter or in a smoke-filled room from the 1950s banging away with ticker tape. I mean, I've got a very old fashioned view of journalists and, you know, what I've realized.
just in learning more about Anna's story and these issues is that journalists It takes so much courage to do what they do, and it takes so much courage to go to the places they go and do the research that they do and uncover the facts and follow. them wherever they lead and then start to write about that and put your name on that and have that published or if you're a television reporter to
you know, to share the stories that are shared. And that takes a lot of courage. These aren't people that are just in a room at a computer. These are people that are putting themselves in harm's way and going to great lengths to really get at the heart of the matter and the truth.
share that with people. And I think that that's a remarkable aspect of this that I had fully appreciated until I I became better aware of Anna's courage and then I see that in other journalists that I respect and follow. Well, I do want to ask you about what we can do, you know, when people are seeing the film about their call to action. But I think I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you about the music, because you do come from a family of musicians.
Your mother is a concert marimbus, and your father is a clarinetist, and he taught at the University of Kansas School of Music. You made the film W.G. Snuffy, who's still alive. And I saw at the end of the press kit. that you had a special thanks to him. So then I thought, oh, you know, so tell us about, you know, that involvement, you know, with the music, music choices, you know, what that experience was like, given your background.
Yeah. So the music is so important in film. I think music really helps audiences connect with what's happening in the story. If it's scary or fun or happy or suspenseful, I think the music really helps. create that emotional bond with an audience. There was a
Great line Steven Spielberg had about John Williams, who had written the score to so many of his films. Steven said that, you know, that as a director, he can bring a tear to someone's eye, but it's John's music that makes it fall, which I just. Love that sentiment. So music is hugely important. Snuffy Walden, who you'd mentioned as a composer who had written the score for the West Wing and the Wonder Years and 30 something and all these amazing.
So he had provided some advice on this film, some help with music that we were dealing with at one point. But we have a European composer, Snorri Halgrimson. who's just did an amazing job underscoring this film and adding that emotional depth to the story that's been told. So yeah, Snorri was brilliant. And, you know, it's not an overwhelming score. This isn't a big.
sweeping musical Jurassic Park type experience, but you know, all the places that it is throughout, it really, I think really helps propel the story forward and helps the audience connect emotionally with what's happening to these characters in this moment. Again, music's hugely important, and he did an amazing job. One of the things you talked about, you've done some funny films, different films. What did this film teach you as a producer that you learned that helped you in your career?
Oh yeah, that's a great question. This was the first kind of international co-production I've been involved with, you know, working. That was a largely UK based, all of our heads of department were from the United Kingdom, but all of our crew were local Lahvian folks. So every department head. spoke English, every department had at least one person that was fluent in both English and Latvian. There was a lot of things.
that were kind of unique to working in that kind of environment that I hadn't dealt with in other films where we filmed in New Jersey or New York or Rhode Island, for example. very different approach. And then this is also, I think in some ways, a bigger film. I mean, here we have explosions and we created a hostage situation and there's a war zone happening. So there were some elements there that
were different from the more character-driven stories that I've been part of previously. So again, in many ways, there were some some fun challenges here. Uh, and it's been, yeah, I mean, I'm a lifelong learner. I always try to take something from everything that I do. And, and, you know, being part of this production was no exception.
Certainly came out of it with a lot more that I'll carry forward into my next production for sure. What do you hope audiences take away from the film or is there a call to action? that you have for people who see this film. Sure. Well, I mean, the first thing is just we want people to see it. So, you know, there are films that They can go straight to streaming or films that'll end up on an HBO or cable TV somewhere. This is a film.
that is going to have a theatrical run first. It's not going to be available everywhere all at the same time. So if you want to see the film, you need to go see it in theaters in May. It's going to open in New York and Los Angeles. that first week of May and then expand to 100 or more screens across the next 20 markets. And then hopefully we'll continue expanding based on weather people. you know, want to go see it or not. So it's really largely up to.
to audiences to find the film and go see it on screen. Don't wait for it to come out on streaming. You know, that's the biggest call to action is we want to show that there's a place for independent films still in the theatrical market. You see what the Marvel movies can do and you see what Taylor Swift can do. But for independent films, thoughtful, well-made, well-crafted stories like this.
You know, we'd like to show that there's still a place for these types of films with theatrical movie going audiences. Yeah, that's the call to action is go see it in the theater and, you know, bring a thousand friends with you when you do to go see it because that helps send a message to the industry that, you know, we should support independent storytelling still.
Yeah, it just helps spread the word to other people. This isn't a big studio film. We don't have an $18 million marketing campaign backing this. And so it's very grassroots organic word of mouth, which is sometimes how some of the best stories. They tend to find their place and find their audience. So if you like it, tell someone. If you don't like it, tell someone. I think if this movie just gets people talking, I think that's going to be it.
A huge step forward. And then eventually it'll also be streaming. We have some great partners. in the US here with Neon and Bleecker Street has a joint venture called DeCal. And so they're going to be handling the streaming of the home entertainment. So this will be streaming towards the middle or end of June. And then Beyond in the UK, they'll be at the ask for release the end of June, end of July. From our great partners there, Signature Entertainment.
Italy, Eagle Entertainment and Eagle Films, and Italy is planning a theatrical release of the film there. I think there's 20 other countries where the film will be available. between now and this fall so excited to see people embracing it and you know making it available so really I call the action shift on audiences to please look for Words of War, find it.
Go see it, tweet about it, tell a friend about it, take them to go see it again, and hopefully help grow awareness of this very powerful and timely story. Well, to learn more about the film, you can go to Mark's company website. He's one of the producers. www.rollingpictures.com. Go see the film, support Freedom of the Press. Thank you, Mark, for joining Media Maker Spotlight and talking to us about Words of War with this amazing cast.
Thank you, Sam. My pleasure. Thanks for listening to Media Maker Spotlight from Women in Film and Video. To learn more about WIF, visit W-I-F as in Frank, V as in Victor.org. This podcast is created by Sandra Abrams, Candice Block, Brandon Ferry, Tara Jabari, and Jerry Reinhart. And edited by Michelle Kim and Inez Perez. With audio production and mix by Steve Lack Audio. Subscribe to continue learning from more amazing media makers. Please visit mediamakerspotlight.com for more information.