Mr. Nobody Against Putin

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Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Jan 2026

1h 30m

Documentary

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34 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Pavel "Pasha" (33) is a teacher and event organizer at a small primary school in a Russian town with a population of 10,000. In ordinary times, he is a beloved mentor, prankster, and nonconformist, known for hanging up democracy posters and offering a safe haven in his office for students who feel out of place. However, after the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Pasha took on the role of an international whistleblower, exposing the devastating effects of Russia's aggressive militarization within its own schools. Haunted by his painful years as a student at the same school, Pasha remains a lighthearted and mischievous presence on campus. Yet his mission as a teacher is challenged when a new patriotic education policy is introduced during the early weeks of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Pasha is shocked to learn that his responsibilities now include facilitating daily state-sanctioned propaganda events. To cope with his guilt and feelings of powerlessness, he decides to document how the war is transforming his school. Under the guise of his actual role as the school's videographer, he records hundreds of hours of footage inside classrooms and on school grounds. What emerges is the story of an institution abruptly transformed: propaganda, repressive new laws, militarized children's organizations, and the eventual recruitment of graduating students to fight in Ukraine. Pasha reaches his emotional breaking point as he films farewell parties for cherished students being sent to the frontlines in Ukraine. As the body bags return, Pasha and the rest of the school community grapple with the twin traumas of violence and repression. When Pasha learns his own life may be in danger, he is forced to plan a daring escape from Russia.

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack)

Jan 30

3.5/4

The guiding intelligence and pervading mournfulness is all Pasha’s as he watches the light in his students' eyes slowly dim to darkness.

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Leslie Felperin

The Hollywood Reporter

Jan 29

[A] touching, intimate chronicle.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Jan 23

The result, featuring a copious voice-over by Talankin, is an exemplary work of cinematic modernism, a reflexive film that turns its genesis into its subject and its moral essence.

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Daniel Allen

Loud and Clear Reviews

1d

4/5

Manages to capture the gradual changes in Russian society, as well as the totalitarian grip placed upon the education of its young citizens.

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

1d

4.5/5

Despite the depressing nature of what’s happening at the school, Talankin’s affection for his students and his resilient sense of humour ensure that the film is always engaging.

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Cameron Meier

MeierMovies.com

6d

4.25/5

The film belongs to Talankin, who not only co-directed but narrates in an almost "Roger & Me" style, even managing to interject some humor into the tragedy. He is the Russian Michael Moore.

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Vera N

6d

I cried quite a bit watching this film. I graduated from a high school in 1995 in what I thought was the most polluted city - Norilsk in Siberia - and left Russia shortly after. The scenes of the town and the school are just like everything looked back then. It's like the entire country is frozen in time and nothing ever gets better - in a country with massive natural resources. That's a result of corruption on an unprecedented scale. I really liked the main character and his honesty. I felt the danger he was putting himself in and the change in the society is quite chilling. It gets worse and worse. As someone who was taught that peace, life and friendship are the most important values in life, I am appalled at all the violent propaganda and manipulation of young, malleable minds. My only criticism is that the English CC translation could be better - there were a few times nuances were lost.

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Kathryn R

@Kathryn310 6d

A fascinating and chilling look at how Putin indoctrinates Russian children to accept his version of reality.

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Daria K

@daria141 Feb 2

Poorly camouflaged self-promotion without any coherent message

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Dean E

Feb 1

Another documentary about the war in Ukraine, but this one from the other side. A Russian teacher risks his safety documenting the Russian propaganda machine at the beginning of the invasion and then trying to get said footage out of the country. Not a lot of suspense in whether or not he succeeds, because you are watching this movie, but it's still fascinating to see this from the other point of view.

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Dave C

@PeterAbbott Jan 30

Many of the scenes were too stagey for a documentary. It felt like the directors decided how a scene should look -- how it should play out. Then they rehearsed the scene, and shot it like a fictional film drama. Some of the shots of the town of Karabash were interesting. You get at least a superficial view of a faraway place, in a country most of us will never get to visit. But that's not enough to make up for the feeling of dishonesty in the style of the filmmaking.

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Valeriya K

@Valeriya870 Jan 28

It is not a loud opposition by known figures, it is a picture from an almost ordinary person feeling growing resentment toward evil power. Gradual surreal transformation of society targeting children ..one can’t hate enough how people in power destroying life.

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David Borenstein

Director

Pasha Talankin

Self

David Borenstein

Screenwriter

Helle Faber

Producer

Pavel Ilyich Talankin

Cinematographer

Nicolaj Monberg

Film Editing

Mr. Nobody Against Putin: Trailer 1

2:05

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Synopsis

Pavel "Pasha" (33) is a teacher and event organizer at a small primary school in a Russian town with a population of 10,000. In ordinary times, he is a beloved mentor, prankster, and nonconformist, known for hanging up democracy posters and offering a safe haven in his office for students who feel out of place. However, after the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, Pasha took on the role of an international whistleblower, exposing the devastating effects of Russia's aggressive militarization within its own schools. Haunted by his painful years as a student at the same school, Pasha remains a lighthearted and mischievous presence on campus. Yet his mission as a teacher is challenged when a new patriotic education policy is introduced during the early weeks of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Pasha is shocked to learn that his responsibilities now include facilitating daily state-sanctioned propaganda events. To cope with his guilt and feelings of powerlessness, he decides to document how the war is transforming his school. Under the guise of his actual role as the school's videographer, he records hundreds of hours of footage inside classrooms and on school grounds. What emerges is the story of an institution abruptly transformed: propaganda, repressive new laws, militarized children's organizations, and the eventual recruitment of graduating students to fight in Ukraine. Pasha reaches his emotional breaking point as he films farewell parties for cherished students being sent to the frontlines in Ukraine. As the body bags return, Pasha and the rest of the school community grapple with the twin traumas of violence and repression. When Pasha learns his own life may be in danger, he is forced to plan a daring escape from Russia.

Director: David Borenstein
Producer: Helle Faber
Screenwriter: David Borenstein
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: ZDF/Arte, Pink Productions, Made in Copenhagen
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Russian
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 21, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 22, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.4K
Runtime: 1h 30m

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