My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow

My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow
Promotional poster
Directed by
Screenplay byJulia Loktev
Produced by
  • Julia Loktev
  • Michael Taylor
Starring
  • Anna Nemzer
  • Ksenia Mironova
  • Sonya Groysman
  • Olga Churakova
  • Irina Dolinina
  • Alesya Marokhovskaya
CinematographyJulia Loktev
Edited by
  • Julia Loktev
  • Michael Taylor
Music bySami Buccella
Production
company
Marminchilla
Distributed byMubi
Release dates
  • 13 October 2024 (2024-10-13) (NYFF)
  • 20 February 2025 (2025-02-20) (Berlinale)
Running time
324 minutes
Country
  • United States
Language
  • Russian

My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow is a 2024 Russian-language American documentary film written and directed by Julia Loktev. It is a documentary on the persistence of several independent Russian journalists to keep doing their jobs in the months leading up to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as the Putin government's repression of free speech builds.[1]

The documentary premiered at the 2024 New York Film Festival in the Main Slate section on October 13, 2024.[2] It had its international premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in Berlinale Special section on 20 February 2025.[3][4]

At the Gotham Independent Film Awards 2025, it won Best Documentary Feature. It was also shortlisted for Best Documentary Feature at the 98th Academy Awards.[5][6]

Summary

The documentary follows several journalists, mostly young women, during the fall and winter of 2021-2022. They and the outlet they work for, TV Rain, have been labeled "foreign agents" or "undesirable" by Putin's regime, which requires TV Rain to label all its reporting with a statement that the channel is serving foreign powers. While the staff meet the designation with dark humor, it means that they are increasingly subject to government surveillance and harassment. Most of the journalists try to continue living relatively normal lives as they report truthfully on Russian politics and the buildup of Russian troops on the Ukraine border, even as police crackdowns and arrests intensify.

Cast

  • Anna Nemzer
  • Ksenia Mironova
  • Sonya Groysman
  • Olga Churakova
  • Irina Dolinina
  • Alesya Marokhovskaya

Release

The film was screened for press at the New York Film Festival ahead of its official world premiere on September 25, 2024, where journalists at exiled Russian news network TV Rain were in attendance.[7]

My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow premiered in the Main Slate section, at the 62nd edition of New York Film Festival on October 13, 2024.[8][9]

The film had its international premiere on 20 February 2025, as part of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, in Berlinale Special.[10][11][12] It was also part of Horizons section of the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it was screened from 4 July to 10 July 2025.[13]

My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow returned to New York City with an extended run (in two parts) at Film Forum in August and September 2025.[14][15] In January 2026, Mubi acquired distribution rights to the film.[16]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 23 critics' reviews are positive.[17]

Lauren Wissot reviewing for IndieWire graded the film an A−, titling it as "A Scary and Riveting Portrait of Russia’s Last Independent News Channel". Wissot opined that albeit spending over five hours mostly in the company of strangers in their apartments might initially seem like a rather tedious experience but, Loktev manages to justify this duration, as her "undesirable friends" gradually become familiar to us as well.[18]

Keith Uhlich, reviewing for Slant Magazine, gave the film a score of 3 out of 4, opining, "In a strange and very sad way, the Ukraine invasion gives Julia Loktev’s movie its sense of purpose."[19]

Accolades

Tim Grierson, a critic with Screen International, placed the film at number 1 as Best Documentary of the year 2024.[20] Both Manohla Dargis and Alissa Wilkenson of The New York Times included it on their lists of the 10 best movies of 2025.[21]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Indie Film Site Network November 12, 2025 Indie Film Site Network Advocate Award My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow Won [22]
Gotham Independent Film Awards December 1, 2025 Best Documentary Feature Julia Loktev, Michael Taylor Won [23]
International Documentary Association December 6, 2025 Best Editing Julia Loktev Nominated [24]
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards November 9, 2025 Best Political Documentary My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow Nominated [25]
New York Film Critics Circle January 6, 2026 Best Non-Fiction Film Won [26]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association January 10, 2026 Best Documentary Film Won [27]
Film Independent Spirit Awards February 15, 2026 Best Documentary Feature Nominated [28]

See also

References

  1. ^ Center, Film at Lincoln (August 6, 2024). "62nd New York Film Festival Main Slate Announced". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  2. ^ Center, Film at Lincoln (August 6, 2024). "62nd New York Film Festival: My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow". Film at Lincoln Center. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  3. ^ Davide Abbatescianni (January 21, 2025). "The Berlinale unveils the titles playing in its Competition and its Perspectives and Berlinale Special strands". Cineuropa. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  4. ^ Ntim, Zac (January 21, 2025). "Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Richard Linklater, Jessica Chastain, A$AP Rocky & Marion Cotillard Movies Among Vibrant Selection". Deadline. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  5. ^ Kimberly Nordyke, Beatrice Verhoeven (December 16, 2025). "2026 Oscars Shortlists Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
  6. ^ Davis, Clayton (December 16, 2025). "Oscars Shortlists Announced in 12 Categories: 'Sinners' and 'Wicked: For Good' Lead, 'Sirât' Gets Strong Showing". Variety. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  7. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (September 25, 2024). "Journalists From Outlawed Russian TV Rain Gather As Documentary 'My Undesirable Friends' Screens Ahead Of NYFF World Premiere". Deadline. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  8. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (August 6, 2024). "New York Film Festival Unveils Main Slate". Deadline. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  9. ^ Rebecca Rubin (August 6, 2024). "New York Film Festival Unveils 2024 Lineup: Sean Baker's 'Anora,' Paul Schrader's 'Oh, Canada' and More". Variety. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  10. ^ Rosser, Michael (January 21, 2025). "Berlin film festival reveals 2025 competition line-up 2025". ScreenDaily. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  11. ^ Scott Roxborough (January 21, 2025). "Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Movies From Richard Linklater, Michel Franco, Hang Song-Soo in Competition (Full List)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  12. ^ "My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow". Berlinale. February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  13. ^ "Catalogue of Films". Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. June 20, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  14. ^ Chang, Justin (August 14, 2025). ""My Undesirable Friends: Part I" Is a Staggering Portrait of Russian Journalists in Dissent". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  15. ^ "Film Forum · MY UNDESIRABLE FRIENDS: PART I — LAST AIR IN MOSCOW". Film Forum. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  16. ^ Carey, Matthew (January 28, 2026). "MUBI Acquires Oscar-Shortlisted Documentary 'My Undesirable Friends' And Upcoming Sequel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  17. ^ "My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  18. ^ Wissot, Lauren (October 2, 2024). "'My Undesirable Friends: Part 1 — Last Air in Moscow' Review: A Scary and Riveting Portrait of Russia's Last Independent News Channel". IndieWire. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  19. ^ Uhlich, Keith (October 7, 2024). "'My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow' Review: A Trenchant Reality Show". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  20. ^ Grierson, Tim (December 23, 2024). "Films of the year 2024: Tim Grierson". ScreenDaily. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  21. ^ Dargis, Manohla; Wilkinson, Alissa (December 2, 2025). "Best Movies of 2025". The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  22. ^ Carey, Matthew (November 12, 2025). "'My Undesirable Friends' Wins Indie Film Site Network Advocate Award, Besting Other Top Oscar Contenders". Deadline. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  23. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (October 28, 2025). "Gotham Awards Film Nominations: 'One Battle After Another' Leads Pack; Multiple Noms For 'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You', 'It Was Just An Accident', 'No Other Choice'". Deadline. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  24. ^ Carey, Matthew (December 6, 2025). "'The Tale Of Silyan,' 'Apocalypse In The Tropics' Earn Top Prizes At IDA Documentary Awards, Boosting Oscar Chances – Full Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  25. ^ Davis, Clayton (October 20, 2025). "'Orwell: 2+2=5' and 'The Perfect Neighbor' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  26. ^ Lewis, Hilary (December 2, 2025). "New York Film Critics Circle Names 'One Battle After Another' as Best Film of 2025". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 2, 2025.
  27. ^ Zilko, Christian (December 7, 2025). "Los Angeles Film Critics Association Names 'One Battle After Another' Best Picture of 2025 (Winners List)". IndieWire. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  28. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (December 3, 2025). "Spirit Award Nominees include 'Sorry, Baby', 'Peter Hujar's Day', 'Train Dreams', 'Twinless', and 'The Plague'". IndieWire. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
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