Think Freedom- Freedom To Speak Your Mind
Think Freedom: Freedom to Speak Your Mind, Olga
“Freedom To Speak Your Mind”
“Freedom To Speak Your Mind” meets you with Olga, a Russian political activist, who fled her homeland to Germany.
"I had to make a single decision. Take the big suitcase or the small one. I took the big one."
After the assassination of Boris Nemtsov, a Russian politician and critic of Putin’s regime, Olga, his associate and close friend, uses a trip to Vilnius to flee from Russia with her son Petya, afraid of the consequences of speaking her mind freely.
"Another important reason for leaving was, of course, my son. Staying in Russia would have been hard for him. I saw that he's growing up with a mind of his own. It's a hard choice. Why should your family suffer? I think he will find more opportunity here. He could do something, on his own. Something important and meaningful."
Now in Bonn, Germany, she works with Nemtsov’s daughter, Zhanna Nemtsova, at Boris Nemtsov Foundation to promote freedom of speech and information, German-Russian dialogue and European values, memorial activities in honour of the killed opposition leader. Friedrich Naumann Foundation supports the Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom, as we share similar values and views. Among the joint initiatives are the annual Boris Nemtsov Prize for Courage and the Boris Nemtsov Forum.
"We, at Boris Nemtsov Foundation, try to do the most important - support brave people."
In Memory of Boris Nemtsov, 4 years after his assassination on 27 February 2015.
Think Freedom
Nowadays, liberal values are in danger globally. The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom’s project “Think Freedom” highlights the life stories of six inspiring liberal-minded individuals, one of whom is Olga. The characters of the “Think Freedom” documentary film series embody the core liberal principles of freedom, choice and responsibility. The overarching theme is their self-determination to pursue freedom by overcoming challenges in the shrinking spaces of their democracies. The six documentaries address the fundamental questions these individuals face every day at a crossroad in their lives such as “To speak or to stay silent?”, “To stay or to go?”, “To stay yourself or to conform?”. “Think Freedom” is a cooperative project by the Regional Office for East and Southeast Europe of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (“FNF ESEE”) and Tanuki Films. “Think Freedom” was conceived by Dr Rainer Adam, Regional Director of FNF ESEE, and directed by David Djambazov and Anna Stoeva of Tanuki Films.
Learn more about Think Freedom here.