Daniel Roher’s “pulse-pounding” documentary Navalny will open the 48th Seattle International Film Festival on Thursday, April 14 at The Paramount Theatre.

The film follows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as he investigates the 2020 attempt on his life. After becoming deathly ill on a flight, Navalny was evacuated from a Siberian hospital to Berlin, where doctors confirmed that he had been poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent implicated in attacks on other opponents of the Russian government.

While President Vladimir Putin denied any involvement, Navalny and his team partnered with the data investigative journalism outlet Bellingcat as well as other international news organizations to investigate his attempted assassination and find proof of the Kremlin’s involvement.

Filmmaker Daniel Roher, in partnership with CNN Films and HBO Max, follows Navalny’s investigation to create a documentary that The Playlist calls, “a rousing tale of standing up for the right thing no matter the cost,” and TimeOut calls, “a pulsing thriller that would give one of the early Bourne movies a run for its money.”

“We are thrilled to be opening the 2022 Seattle International Film Festival with Navalny, a thrilling film that is all-but ripped from the headlines,” said SIFF Artistic Director Beth Barrett. “Film provides us with access to the conversations we need to have about the issues of our time, and with insight into the world around us. Navalny is an ideal example.”