Ukraine war – 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.

Festivals Reviews

DEFIANT (TIFF 2023) – Review by Peg Aloi

September 11, 2023September 22, 2023 Peg Aloi Bucha, defiant, Dmytro Kuleba, documentary, Karim Amer, Kyiv, Odessa Rae, TIFF 2023, Ukraine war

This enthralling documentary is a timely examination and chronicle of the war in Ukraine, beginning in the days before the Russian invasion. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Karim Amer and produced by Odessa Rae, Defiant is fast-moving yet thoughtful, look at the many issues defining a volatile war that has the potential to affect all of Europe. The juxtaposition of the deeply personal traumas affecting the Ukrainians under attack versus the global perception of the war is writ large here, and it is this dramatic contrast that gives powerful depth and scope to the film.