Pavel Talankin, a former school event organiser and videographer from Russia’s Ural Mountains, has become the unlikely subject and co-director of an award-winning documentary, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin.”
The film exposes the abrupt militarisation and intense propaganda within Russian schools following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, a project that cost Talankin his life in Russia but which he says he would do all over again.
Initially ordered to film patriotic lessons, songs, and morning drills at his secondary school in Karabash, Talankin found the propaganda deeply distressing and considered quitting.
His life took an unexpected turn when a Europe-based filmmaker, David Borenstein, contacted him, proposing a collaboration to document the changes within his school.
Having previously expressed a willingness to talk about how his job was affected by the war, Talankin spent a sleepless night contemplating the offer.
The collaboration ultimately led Talankin to flee Russia last summer, leaving behind his family and hometown. He smuggled out seven hard drives filled with hours of footage.
Using this material, Borenstein, a Denmark-based US filmmaker, directed “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” a 90-minute documentary that premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in January.
The project came at a significant personal cost for the 34-year-old Talankin, who is now based in Prague. He has been declared “persona non grata” by local officials, his former colleagues are banned from contacting him, and he has become a figure of hate for war supporters.
His school librarian mother has also been upset by his actions. Despite the immense risks, Talankin stated to AFP that he has “no regrets” and “would do it all over again,” buoyed by the support of those featured in the film, including individuals who lost loved ones in the war. One former colleague expressed shame at being “part of the system.”
The documentary has garnered awards at various festivals, and the film crew hopes for wider distribution in Europe later this year.
Borenstein expressed relief at the film’s success, acknowledging the numerous obstacles faced by the multinational crew, particularly concerning communication and security.
He admitted being “really scared” that Talankin’s significant sacrifice would be in vain if the film failed.
Talankin, who is currently learning English and adjusting to his new life in Prague, has been unable to join the crew for film presentations due to paperwork issues, though the team hopes this will change.
He expressed being heartened by audience reactions at screenings, citing one Czech viewer who, despite initial anti-Russian sentiments, reconsidered after watching the film, stating, “We knew nothing about what was happening to you.”
Producer Alexandra Fechner praised the film as a “powerful and poetic piece of cinema,” highlighting its exposure of “the hidden side of propaganda in Russia, which targets the youngest members of society, children who are being taught a rewritten version of history and given guns!”
As the war enters its fourth year, Moscow has intensified its efforts to put society on a war footing, leveraging the educational system to cultivate a fiercely pro-Kremlin generation.
The documentary features disturbing scenes, including Wagner mercenaries instructing children on hand grenades and teachers labeling Ukrainians “neo-Nazi,” alongside an audio recording of a wailing mother at her soldier son’s funeral.
Despite the heavy subject matter, critics have noted the film’s empathy and light touch. An anecdote in the film features a history teacher telling pupils that spiralling prices could soon force Europeans to live “like musketeers, riding horses.”
Borenstein reflected on how viewing Talankin’s footage daily revealed the desensitising effect of wartime propaganda, admitting that he became accustomed to the onslaught.
Much of the footage, including the school’s preparations for a nuclear attack (Karabash is near the Mayak nuclear reprocessing plant), did not make it into the final cut, as Borenstein aimed to prevent viewers from “drowning in the enormous amount of negative material.”
Talankin, however, has plans for this unreleased footage, intending to “start slowly releasing it” sooner or later.
