이름도없는 반역자 러시아 애국 교육의 현장에서
Mr Nobody Against Putin
| Mr Nobody Against Putin | |
|---|---|
International promotional release poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Written by | David Borenstein |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | Pavel Talankin |
| Narrated by | Pavel Talankin |
| Cinematography | Pavel Talankin |
| Edited by |
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| Music by |
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Production companies | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages | Russian English |
| Box office | $1 million[2] |
Mr Nobody Against Putin is a 2025 documentary film directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin. It follows Talankin in his job at a school in Karabash, a poor mining town near the Ural Mountains. While recording his students, Talankin also documents the Putin administration's moves to control public perception during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.[3]
The film had its world premiere at the World Cinema Documentary section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on 25 January, where it won the Special Jury Award. It was selected as the Danish Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film,[4] and went on to win Best Documentary at the 79th British Academy Film Awards and Best Documentary Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.[5] Reception was generally positive, but there were concerns – especially by Ukrainian viewers – about how the film portrayed opposition to Putin within Russia.[6]
Background
Mr Nobody Against Putin was shot over a period of two years by Pavel "Pasha" Talankin, the videographer and events coordinator at Karabash Primary School #1.[7] Talankin began seriously documenting his activities after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, when the government began requiring schools to hold regular "patriotic displays" and use state-written curriculum (such as Conversations about Important Things) to justify the invasion to students.[6] At the same time, the government instituted a requirement to upload footage of these displays to a state-run portal to prove compliance, allowing Talankin cover to film meetings, lessons, and visitors to the school without attracting suspicion.[8] He initially planned to resign in order to avoid supporting the Russian government; however, after getting in contact with director David Borenstein, he withdrew his resignation to keep gathering footage.[8]
For instance, on one occasion, mercenaries from the Wagner Group arrive at the school to give a lecture;[9] on another, a teacher disrupts the flag-raising ceremony by playing the US national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" performed by Lady Gaga instead of the Russian anthem.[7] In parallel, the people surrounding Talankin are revealed — his mother, who works as a librarian at the same school; Pavel Abdulmanov, a pro-Putin history teacher; a student named Masha, whose brother fights and later dies in the war; and former students who are drafted into the army.[10][11][12][13][14]
Talankin secretly fled Russia during the summer of 2024, aided by his producers and Borenstein who worked to get him asylum in Europe, following evidence of police surveillance at his home, which appears in the film.[15]
Production
Mr Nobody Against Putin was directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin. The co-production partners are ZDF/Arte and the BBC, with additional support from the Danish Film Institute and the Czech Audiovisual Fund. The film was produced by Borenstein, Helle Faber for 'Made in Copenhagen' (Denmark), Radovan Síbrt, and Alžběta Karásková for PINK (Czech Republic).[12] Post-production was done by Prague's UPP studio.
Lucie Kon is the BBC's commissioning editor and an executive producer, who oversaw the project and was crucial in providing the initial funding from the BBC. She also advised on the critical safety and security protocols required to get the sensitive undercover footage out of Russia. She facilitated the collaboration between the filmmakers and various international partners.[16][17]
Release and reception
Mr Nobody Against Putin premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025. Beginning in March 2025, it has been screened at numerous film festivals around the world. The film premiered in Florida on 29 March 2025 at the 18th Gasparilla International Film Festival in Tampa.[18] In the United Kingdom, Mr Nobody first aired on BBC Four on 14 October 2025, as part of the Storyville strand:[19] Kino Lorber acquired North American rights in January 2026, setting a release date for January 22 in select theaters and streaming on the Kino Film Collection.[20]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 45 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Chronicling one whistleblower's uphill struggle with clear-eyed insight, Mr Nobody Against Putin is a powerful documentary that vividly illustrates the resilience of everyday people against institutional forces."[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[22]
IndieWire published a positive review, giving the film a grade of "A-" and praising the documentary for its undercover footage of life inside Russia.[7] The Guardian was similarly positive and praised Talankin for his bravery in capturing footage.[23] The Daily Beast and Variety also published positive reviews.[8][12] The A.V. Club was more critical, noting that the film's focus on a single school made it feel limited in scope and that several narrative threads were dropped as the film continued.[24] Owen Matthews, writing for The Independent, was also critical, stating that the Russian government did not take as much offence to token acts of protest as Mr Nobody appears to portray, while also noting that the film shows more of the widespread political apathy and compliance that contributes to Putin's totalitarian rule than defiance – a problem raised by many Ukrainian viewers.[6]
Awards and nominations
| Award / Film Festival | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | 2026 | Best Documentary Feature | David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin, Helle Faber, and Alžběta Karásková | Won | [25][26] |
| British Academy Film Awards | 2026 | Best Documentary | Won | [27][28] | |
| Robert Awards | 2026 | Best Editing | Nicolaj Monberg and Rebekka Lønqvist | Nominated | [29] |
| Best Documentary Feature | Helle Faber, David Borenstein, and Pavel Talankin | Won | |||
| Sundance Film Festival | 2025 | World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award | Mr Nobody Against Putin | Won | [30] |
| Ann Arbor Film Festival | 2025 | International Documentary Audience Award | Mr Nobody Against Putin | Won |
Controversies
The film's production process became the subject of public debate, particularly regarding ethical considerations. Because much of the footage was recorded covertly in a Russian school, critics raised concerns that students and colleagues were filmed without informed consent, including minors who could not meaningfully agree to participate. Some observers questioned whether the use of such material exposed participants to potential risks, especially given the political sensitivity of the subject matter.[31][32]
These concerns were echoed in media discussions and among Russian-speaking audiences abroad. According to Meduza, the documentary prompted disagreement within the emigre community, where some viewers praised the filmmaker's actions as courageous, while others criticized the project's ethics and questioned the author's motivations, describing him as potentially seeking recognition rather than solely documenting events.[33] Some have argued that the film filters events in Russia through a distinctly Western lens, shaped for the documentary circuit. Additionally, others have pointed out that certain moments appear staged or overblown, presenting Mr. Talankin as a heroic figure fighting against the odds.[31][33]
More broadly, coverage in international media highlighted the inherent tension between the film's investigative value and the ethical risks of undercover filming in a school environment, with the project described as raising difficult questions about the boundaries of documentary practice under authoritarian conditions.[31][32]
Russian government response
In February 2026, Dmitry Peskov, Russian Presidential Press Secretary, told journalists that the Kremlin had not watched the work and that "it would be wrong to give any assessments without being familiar with the material".[34]
In March, the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights appealed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and UNESCO Secretary General Khaled Al-Anani regarding Mr. Nobody Against Putin. The council claimed that the film may violate the rights of minors because it includes footage of schoolchildren used without parental consent, and asked the Academy to review whether the film complies with child-protection standards.[35]
In the same month, a court in Chelyabinsk banned the documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin from being distributed in Russia. The charges cited the appearance of the white-blue-white flag, considered a symbol of the Freedom of Russia Legion, as "propaganda of extremism and terrorism". Prosecutors also claimed the film promotes "militarization", expresses a "negative attitude toward the war and the current government", and shows minors without parental consent.[36]
See also
- Conversations about Important Things
- List of submissions to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
- List of Danish submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
- List of Russian Academy Award winners and nominees
References
- Crucchiola, Jordan (2025-01-25). ""Mr. Nobody Against Putin" Is a Roadmap for Bravery in the Face of Authoritarianism". Sundance Institute. Archived from the original on 2025-11-14. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- "Mr Nobody Against Putin – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- Sauer, Pjotr (2025-02-09). "'Many teachers don't want to do this, but they're trapped': film shows extent of Putin indoctrination in Russian schools". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
- Tartaglione, Nancy (September 17, 2025). "Oscars: Denmark Selects 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' For Best International Feature Film Race". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 24, 2025. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
- Dalton, Andrew (March 16, 2026). "'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' wins best documentary feature Oscar for teacher who opposed Ukraine war". AP News. Archived from the original on March 16, 2026. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- Matthews, Owen (18 March 2026). "Mr Nobody Against Putin – the sinister truth about brainwashed Russians". The Independent. London: Independent Digital News & Media. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- Blauvelt, Christian (2025-01-26). "'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' Review: A Riveting Look Inside an Increasingly Totalitarian Russia". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 2025-02-11. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- Schager, Nick (2025-01-25). "One Teacher's Brave Stand Against Putin's Propaganda Machine". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- Macnab, Geoffrey (2025-01-30). "Sundance World Cinema Comp: Mr Nobody Against Putin by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin". Business Doc Europe. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
- Lacson, Therese (2025-02-07). "Mr. Nobody Against Putin' Review: A Startling Documentary That Fights for Hope in a Hopeless Russia | Sundance 2025". Collider. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
- Wilson, Connie (2025-02-11). "Mr. Nobody Against Putin Screens At Sundance 2025". The Movie Blog. Retrieved 2025-10-24.
- Aguilar, Carlos (25 January 2025). "'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' Review: A Defiant Teacher Witnesses the Militarization of Russian Schools Amid Ukraine War in Poignant Doc". Variety. Los Angeles: Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on 7 February 2025. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- Barraclough, Leo (2025-01-24). "'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' Director on Lifting the Lid on Kremlin Pro-War Propaganda in Sundance Documentary". Variety. Retrieved 2025-10-24.
- King, Loren (2025-04-10). "Newport FILM presents "Mr. Nobody Against Putin," a Russian/Ukraine History Lesson". Newport This Week. Retrieved 2025-10-24.
- Pennick, Bailey (2025-01-26). ""Mr. Nobody Against Putin" Is a Roadmap for Bravery in the Face of Authoritarianism – sundance.org". Archived from the original on 2025-11-07. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
- "Jewish filmmakers scoop best documentary Bafta for Mr Nobody Against Putin". The Jewish Chronical. 24 February 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- "Mr Nobody Against Putin: An Oscar-Nominated Documentary's Lesson on Undercover Reporting in Plain Sight". 13 March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- "Instagram post". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- "BBC Four – Storyville, Mr Nobody Against Putin". BBC. London. 14 October 2025. Archived from the original on 17 November 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- Carey, Matthew (January 8, 2026). "Kino Lorber Takes NA Rights To 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin,' Oscar-Shortlisted Doc About Teacher Who Stood Up To Kremlin Chief". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 11, 2026. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- "Mr Nobody Against Putin". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
- "Mr Nobody Against Putin". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
- Horton, Adrian (2025-01-25). "Mr Nobody Against Putin review – a teacher fights back in a powerful documentary". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- Oller, Jacob (2025-01-27). "Sundance documentaries tackle gender-affirming care, cancer treatment, and warmongering". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2025-01-30. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- "'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' Wins BAFTA for Best Documentary". The Moscow Times. 23 February 2026.
- "The 98th Academy Awards | (2026)". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 8, 2026. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- "Bafta film awards 2026: full list of nominations". The Guardian. 2026-01-27. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
- "BAFTA Awards 2026 Full Winners List: Boong Makes History". Bru Times News.
- Abbatescianni, Davide (2 February 2026). "The Girl with the Needle and Second Victims dominate Denmark's Robert Awards". Cineuropa. Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- "2025 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners Announced". Sundance Institute. 2025-01-31. Archived from the original on 2025-06-03. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
- Hopkins, Valerie; Moscow, Paul SonneValerie Hopkins reported from; Berlin, Paul Sonne from (2026-03-16). "How the Makers of 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' Addressed 'an Ethical Minefield'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-03-28.
- "Russia names Oscar-winning 'Mr Nobody' film maker as a 'foreign agent'". Reuters. 2026-03-27.
- "A Russian teacher filmed classroom war propaganda, and the smuggled footage is now an Oscar-nominated documentary. But émigrés are split". Meduza. Retrieved 2026-03-28.
- "В Кремле не смотрели фильм «Господин Никто против Путина»" (in Russian). Коммерсантъ. 2026-02-04. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
- "СПЧ пожаловался на «Господина Никто против Путина» в оргкомитет «Оскара». В президентском совете считают, что фильм нарушает права несовершеннолетних" [The Human Rights Council filed a complaint against "Mr. Nobody vs. Putin" to the Oscars organizing committee. The presidential council believes the film violates the rights of minors.]. Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- "Суд в России запретил фильм «Господин Никто против Путина»" [A Russian court has banned the film "Mr. Nobody vs. Putin."]. Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 2026-03-26.
External links
- 2025 films
- 2025 Danish films
- 2025 Czech films
- 2025 German films
- 2025 documentary films
- Danish documentary films
- Czech documentary films
- German documentary films
- Russo-Ukrainian war films
- 2025 Russian-language films
- Russian-language documentary films
- 2025 English-language films
- English-language documentary films
- English-language Danish films
- English-language Czech films
- English-language German films
- Russian-language Czech films
- Education in Chelyabinsk Oblast
- Politics of Chelyabinsk Oblast
- Documentary films about Russian politics
- Documentary films about the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Documentary films about education
- Propaganda in Russia related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Best Documentary Feature Academy Award winners
- Works banned in Russia
- German multilingual films
- Czech multilingual films
- Danish multilingual films
- Russian-language German films
- Russian-language Danish films
이름도없는 반역자 러시아 애국 교육의 현장에서
| 이름도없는 반역자 러시아 애국 교육의 현장에서 | |
|---|---|
| Mr Nobody Against Putin | |
| 감독 |
|
| 각본 | 데이비드 볼렌스타인 |
| 제작 |
|
| 제작 총 지휘 |
|
| 내레이터 | 파벨 탈랑킨 |
| 출연자 | 파벨 탈랑킨 |
| 음악 |
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| 촬영 | 파벨 탈랑킨 |
| 편집 |
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| 제작회사 | |
| 공개 | |
| 상영시간 | 90분 |
| 제작국 | |
| 언어 |
|
『이름도 없는 반역자 러시아 애국교육의 현장에서』(나모나키 한갓챠샤 러시아 아이코쿠쿄이쿠의 겐바에서, 원제: Mr Nobody Against Putin )는, 데이비드 보렌스타인 과 파벨 타란킨 감독에 의한 2025 년 . 우랄 산맥 근교의 가난한 광산 마을인 칼라바쉬 에 있는 학교에서 교편을 취하는 타란킨의 모습이 파악되고 있으며, 그는 자신의 가르침을 찍으면서 러시아-우크라이나 전쟁 하에서 여론을 통제하려는 푸틴 정권의 동향도 기록하고 있다 [ 2 ] .
월드 프리미어는 2025년 1월 25일 선댄스 영화제 의 월드 시네마 다큐멘터리 부문에서 열려 심사위원 특별상을 획득했다. 제98회 아카데미상 국제장편 영화상 에는 덴마크 대표작으로 출품되었지만, 후보에는 이르지 않았다 [ 3 ] . 한편 장편 다큐멘터리 영화상 에는 후보·수상했다 [ 4 ] [ 5 ] .
배경
『이름도 없는 반역자 러시아 애국교육의 현장에서』는 칼라바쉬 의 초등학교에서 비디오그래퍼 겸 이벤트 코디네이터인 파벨 '파샤' 타란킨에 의해 2년간 촬영됐다 [ 6 ] . 타란킨이 본격적으로 활동 기록을 시작한 것은 2022년 러시아 우크라이나 침공 후 정부가 학교에 대해 정기적으로 '애국적인 전시'를 실시하고 침공 정당화를 위해 국가가 작성한 커리큘럼의 사용을 의무화하기 시작한 시절부터였다 [ 6 ] . 동시에 정부는 이들 전시 영상을 국영 포털에 업로드할 것을 의무화해 준수를 증명시켰다. 이를 통해 타란킨은 의혹을 갖지 않고 회의, 수업, 학교 방문자를 촬영할 수 있었다 [ 7 ] . 당초 그는 러시아 정부에 대한 지원을 피하기 위해 사직할 예정이었지만 감독의 데이비드 볼렌스타인 과 연락을 취하고 영상 수집을 계속하기 위해 사직을 철회했다 [ 7 ] .
영화에서 타란킨의 집이 경찰의 감시하에 있는 증거가 나타난 후, 그는 2024년 여름에 프로듀서와 볼렌스타인의 지원을 받아 비밀리에 러시아에서 탈출했다 [ 8 ] .
공개
프리미어 상영은 2025년 1월 선댄스 영화제 에서 진행되었으며, 그 후 같은 해 3월부터 세계 각지의 영화제에서 상영이 진행되었다. 북미에서의 배급권은 키노 로버 가 획득해, 2026년 1월 22일에 일부 극장에서 상영되어, 키노 필름 콜렉션에서 스트리밍 전달이 된다 [ 9 ] .
일본에서는 NHK BS1 의 ' BS 세계의 다큐멘터리 '에서 2026년 1월 13일 ' 전편 몰린 교원들 '과 1월 14일 ' 후편 '군사화'하는 학교 '로 분할되어 첫 방송됐다 [ 10 ] [ 11 ] .
비평가의 반응
리뷰 수집 사이트 의 Rotten Tomatoes 에서는, 27건의 비평에 근거해 지지율은 100%로 되어 있다 [ 12 ] . Metacritic 에서는 11건의 비평에 근거하여 가중평균치는 80/100으로 나타났다 [ 13 ] .
『인디와이어 』는 「A-」의 평정을 내리고, 러시아 국내의 생활을 잠입 취재한 다큐멘터리라고 칭찬했다 [ 6 ] . ' 가디언 '도 마찬가지로 긍정적인 평론을 게재하고 타란킨의 용감한 촬영을 칭찬했다 [ 14 ] . ' 데일리 비스트 '와 ' 버라이어티 '도 긍정적인 비평을 게재했다 [ 7 ] [ 15 ] . ' AV클럽 '은 비판적이며, 영화가 단일 학교에 초점이 맞추어져 있기 때문에 범위가 한정되어 있다고 느껴지고, 영화의 진행에 따라 이야기의 근육이 끊어지고 있다고 지적했다 [ 16 ] .
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