SYNOPSIS
As Russia launches its invasion of Ukraine, Russian elementary schools become stages for state propaganda in the Urals, teacher Pavel Talankin is ordered to film patriotic ceremonies but secretly documents the militarization of his students. Over two years, he captures the state's brainwashing apparatus and his own moral conflict, smuggling the footage out. Weaving together covert recordings and intimate reflections, the film reveals how surveillance, loyalty, fear, and resistance intersect under an authoritarian regime. It is an insider’s confrontation with the true weight of courage and choice.
REVIEW
Mr. Nobody Against Putin follows the courageous path of a teacher exposing the state-sanctioned propaganda fed to Russian students in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
Its protagonist and co-director, Pavel “Pasha” Talankin, loves his life as a school event coordinator and film instructor in the small town of Karabash—until the day his country launches its full-scale invasion. Talankin begins to feel a deep concern as newly mandated government messaging enters the curriculum and schools start being used as spaces linked to military recruitment. His footage captures scenes in which Russian schools present European history from a particular perspective. In class, the claim that Ukraine is under the control of neo-Nazi forces is mentioned repeatedly. Over time, Russian flags appear more frequently around the school, and classroom activities evolve to include pledges of allegiance to the motherland. In this environment, Talankin finds subtle ways to raise questions about the Putin government during lessons. Using his position as a film instructor, he quietly works to initiate change, positioning himself as a whistleblower. He smuggles footage to American co-director David Borenstein while also preparing for his own escape.
His students are lively and full of curiosity; his own resolve is a compelling blend of ingenuity, humor, and moral courage. Winner of a Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Mr. Nobody Against Putin is both a daring thriller and a deeply moving portrait of one man who risked everything to defend the truth in an age of manufactured lies.
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
[...] I believe we have made a timeless tale about what it means to be an outsider in the most suffocating of circumstances. How do we react when the walls are closing in on us from all sides? When everything you have worked for is on the edge of annihilation? Pasha’s story provides a timeless answer to this question – and one that has been my great privilege to put on screen. [...] -David Borenstein
