October–December 2021. Vladimir Putin has marked out Russian dissidents as “foreign agents.” Journalists at TV Rain, an independent news channel based in Moscow, have been labeled as such; so has the station. Investigating an authoritarian regime, the reporters contend with hostile conditions.

Chapters one to three of Julia Loktev’s unmissable documentary deftly encapsulate the Russian government’s crackdown on perceived enemies of the state. Seeing more than paranoia, the director’s close rapport with her brilliant subjects surfaces defiant camaraderie and unwavering commitment to truth.