The Best Doc of the Year Is Like a 5.5 Hour-Long Panic Attack

As a movie enthusiast with a penchant for documentaries and a soft spot for stories that delve into the complexities of contemporary political landscapes, I found myself utterly captivated by Julia Loktev’s “My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow.” This film is far from a light-hearted sitcom, but it does share a subtle connection with shows like “The Last Airbender” through its episodic structure and character introductions. However, the humor here is of a more serious, wry nature, serving as a stark contrast to the grim reality that Loktev’s subjects are facing.

Julia Loktev’s New Documentary, “My Unwanted Companions: Part I — Last Breath in Moscow,” explores the lives of independent Russian journalists under intense scrutiny. Unlike a typical network sitcom, this five-and-a-half-hour film employs a format reminiscent of the show with a similar title, as each chapter concludes with credits listing the key players’ nicknames and full names. The witty touch is a hint at what’s to come in future episodes: “Stay tuned for a special episode of My Unwanted Companions, where Anya contemplates moving her family to Germany!” However, the film is intended to be viewed as a whole, with plans for a second part following the subjects in exile. The film offers glimpses into the lives of these targeted reporters, news anchors, and podcasters, which at times resembles a comedy series set in their shared workplace – TV Rain, an internet-based channel that had been off the air long before the film’s start date. Despite their humor, the people portrayed in the movie grapple with heavy emotions, as the balance between jokes and tears shifts towards tears by the end. Filmed single-handedly on an iPhone, the film begins in the fall of 2021 and covers the following four months. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the already constricted avenue for truthful reporting vanishes completely.

There’s an unreasonable yet difficult to resist impulse when reading history, to think when to flee should be self-evident, that it should be obvious when a situation has taken a turn from the bad toward the terrible. Loktev’s film is a stunningly stressful experience in what it’s like to actually decide when the desire to stay and fight should give way to the need to cut and run. As one of the journalists — some of them queer, all of them young and progressive and devoted to their calling — notes to a friend, totalitarianism doesn’t actually manifest as the active oppression of all citizens. It can feel like normalcy, aside from the targeting of all those deemed undesirable as a way of keeping everyone else in line. How do you know you’re the frog in the pot in the apocryphal experiment? When Loktev, who was born in the USSR but who grew up in the US, starts filming in October 2021, the friend who is her entrypoint into the scene she’s documenting is feeling the heat turn up another increment. Anna Nemzer, a whippet-thin woman with a black bob and a face that resembles Jodie Comer’s, is one of the anchors at Rain, hosting a show in which she talks to activists and dissidents about their work and what, in the country, needs to change. And Rain has just been slapped with the label of “foreign agent,” putting her among the outlets and individuals on a government list whose newest additions are announced every Friday.

People labeled as foreign agents must disclose their external funding sources in all appearances, which Rain satirically explores by conducting numerous interviews with other foreign agents, some of whom have had this designation for decades. This requirement is a significant part of their introductions. The humor and camaraderie among them are effective, but the threat posed by the government’s ability to fine Rain severely due to this label is ever-present. Rain is a vibrant workplace, described as a “hipster place” with graffiti-covered walls and musical guests, but the uncertainty surrounding its operation and the safety of its visitors is always noticeable. Some people struggle with their time being whittled away by bureaucratic tactics like the foreign agent list, while others have experienced raids on their homes and offices in the early morning and detainment. Loktev frequently visits various apartments for comforting gatherings and celebrations, where her hosts often mention that their places are likely bugged. The fear that Rain will soon be closed down, potentially taking the internet with it, is a recurring theme — however, when war suddenly escalates in the country during January and February, the gravity of the situation still comes as a surprise.

Title Change: My Unwanted Companions

2024-10-05 22:55

The Best Doc of the Year Is Like a 5.5 Hour-Long Panic Attack

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