Timed poignantly with World Press Freedom Day, the much-anticipated film Words of War, based on the life of murdered Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, opens in U.S. cinemas today.

Produced by Sean Penn, the film stars Maxine Peake as Politkovskaya and Jason Isaacs in a leading male role. Politkovskaya’s family, including her sister Elena Kudimova, say the filmmakers made adjustments to the script following concerns about accuracy — a move Kudimova welcomed in her interview with the BBC.

The film depicts Politkovskaya’s relentless pursuit of truth, particularly her reporting on human rights abuses in Chechnya — a war-torn region where her fearless journalism earned both admiration and danger. A vocal critic of the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin, Politkovskaya received numerous threats, but she remained undeterred.

“She was someone who, despite all the threats and the danger to her life, kept doing her work until the very end,” said Kudimova.

Politkovskaya was assassinated in 2006 in her Moscow apartment building — a murder that sent shockwaves through the international journalism community and remains a symbol of the risks faced by truth-tellers worldwide.

Words of War offers a gripping and respectful tribute to Politkovskaya’s legacy. As press freedom faces increasing global threats, her story is a sobering reminder of the price some pay to tell it like it is.