Meryl Streep, Laura Poitras Join ‘My Undesirable Friends: Part II’ as Exec Producers (Exclusive)
Meryl Streep and Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras have joined as executive producers on *My Undesirable Friends: Part II – Exile*, the follow-up to director Julia Loktev's acclaimed 2024 documentary about independent Russian journalists. The new film will premiere at the Venice Film Festival before screening at the New York Film Festival and later reaching theatres and the Mubi streaming platform, marking a high-profile endorsement for a project documenting press freedom under Vladimir Putin's regime.
The documentary follows a group of young journalists branded "foreign agents" by the Kremlin, who are forced to flee Moscow after Putin shuts down independent media following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Loktev tracks the reporters across a dozen countries over four years as they continue reporting on their homeland's war crimes despite being labelled terrorists and facing death threats. Both Streep and Poitras issued statements praising Loktev's intimacy and courage as a filmmaker, while the first instalment, *The Last Air in Moscow*, previously won best documentary honours from the Gotham Awards and several major critics' circles.
In short
- Streep and Poitras become executive producers on Loktev's new Russia documentary.
- Film follows exiled journalists labelled "foreign agents" by Putin's regime.
- It premieres at Venice, then heads to New York Film Festival and Mubi.
Explained simply
Russia’s “foreign agent” label can be applied to people and organisations the state says receive support from abroad. Independent Russian media have faced growing restrictions, particularly since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and many journalists have left the country.
Julia Loktev’s documentary follows young Russian reporters working in exile and continuing to cover their country. Their story sits within wider questions about press freedom, the risks journalists face when reporting on the war, and how people outside Russia can access independent accounts of events there.
The film is the second part of a documentary project whose first instalment received awards and critical recognition. Meryl Streep is an actor and Laura Poitras is a documentary filmmaker; their involvement brings prominent supporters to a film about journalism and life in exile.
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