"Vladimir Putin's government had begun cracking down on independent journalists covering the protests, branding them as "foreign agents" a designation that effectively stigmatized them and forced them to include disclaimers with their work. Loktev began filming several of these journalists who courageously kept reporting on the abuses of the regime, including her friend Anna Nemzer, a talk-show host for the independent channel TV Rain."
"Part I, though, is already a stunning accomplishment a harrowing immersion in the daily lives of journalists who find themselves in a state of freefall. The film is divided into five chapters; the first three take place in the months leading up to the invasion of Ukraine. We see Nemzer in the TV Rain studio, interviewing activists who advocate for immigrants, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups."
In October 2021 filmmaker Julia Loktev traveled to Moscow during nationwide protests supporting Alexei Navalny. Vladimir Putin's government labeled independent journalists covering the protests as "foreign agents," stigmatizing them and forcing disclaimers. Loktev filmed several journalists, including Anna Nemzer of TV Rain, working as a one-person crew with an iPhone in homes and workplaces. She shot for months as tensions mounted and Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, after which her subjects fled. The resulting documentary, My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow, is divided into five chapters and immerses viewers in journalists' daily struggles, legal fights, and continued reporting despite repression.
Read at www.npr.org
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