Venice documentary follows Russian journalists in exile

At the Venice Film Festival, filmmaker Julia Loktev has moved audiences with the second part of her documentary 'My Undesirable Friends,' which immerses viewers in the lives of Russian reporters forced to flee the country abruptly, Le Monde reported on Sunday. The film depicts journalists who, despite precarious conditions and ongoing intimidation, continue to inform their fellow citizens about the war in Ukraine from abroad.

The documentary's screening comes as the festival, now in its second week, has become a platform for stories touching on press freedom and the war's broader European consequences. Loktev's work follows reporters who made the difficult choice to leave Russia, trading their homes and professional networks for the uncertainty of exile while maintaining their commitment to independent journalism.

For viewers in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the film's subject matter carries particular resonance. The region shares a border with Slovenia, a country that has become a transit point and refuge for Russians fleeing conscription and political repression since the invasion of Ukraine began. Trieste, as a historic crossroads between Central Europe and the Balkans, has long been a place where exile stories converge, from the Cold War era to the present day.

Le Monde's review of the documentary emphasises the filmmakers' intimate access to her subjects, capturing both their professional dedication and the personal costs of their displacement. The journalists featured in the film continue to publish for Russian-language audiences, navigating questions of safety and sustainability as they operate without the protections of a domestic newsroom.

The Venice Film Festival has increasingly featured work addressing the war in Ukraine and its consequences for press freedom across Europe. Loktev's documentary, which premiered to strong audience response, adds to a growing body of cinematic work examining how Russian society has been transformed by the conflict and the state's crackdown on independent media.

The film's presence at Venice also highlights the role of international festivals in sustaining exiled journalists' visibility, offering them a platform that domestic Russian outlets can no longer provide. For the region's audiences, many of whom follow Central European and Balkan affairs closely, the documentary offers a lens on a crisis that continues to reshape Europe's eastern neighbourhood.