Ksenia Mironova – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS PART II – EXILE (NYFF 2026) – Review by Jennifer Merin

September 29, 2026October 12, 2026 Jennifer Merin Alesya Marokhovskaya, Anna Nemzer, Elena Kostyuchenko, Julia Loktev, Ksenia Mironova, My Undesirable Friends Part II - Exile, My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow, Nataliya Gumenyuk, NYFF 2026, Peter Ruzavin, Sonya Groysman, truth in journalism, TV Rain, Ukraine war, Valeria Ratnikova, Yana Kuchina

The success of My Undesireable Friends Part I – Last Air in Moscow raised awareness of the Russian independent journalists’ repression and peril, but it didn’t resolve the serious issues it raised, nor did the celebratory kudos distract Loktov, who was resolved to follow her truth-telling subjects into exile whevever they could find shelter and (relative) safety as they continued to report truthfully about Russia’s human rights violations in Ukraine.

Reviews

MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART ONE – LAST AIR IN MOSCOW – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

December 1, 2025March 3, 2026 Valerie Kalfrin Alexei Navalny, Anya Nemzer, Julia Loktev, Ksenia Mironova, Lena Kostyuchenko, My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow, Novaya Gazeta, Vladimir Putin

The documentary My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last Air in Moscow follows a handful of independent journalists in Russia determined to cover its authoritarianism and flaws to the point they’re forced to flee for their lives. The film unfolds over four months through the eyes of filmmaker Julia Loktev (The Loneliest Planet), ending in February 2022 while her friends covered the early days of Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine. Unfolding over five and a half hours, My Undesirable Friends feels like a miniseries, with more urgency in the latter portion once the war begins—and a cliffhanger as the women scatter.