Mr. Nobody Against Putin

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Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Jan 2026

1h 30m

Documentary

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37 Reviews

80%

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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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Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

5h

4/5

This is an inspiring, powerfully personal film with huge ramifications.

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Monica Reid

Far Out Magazine

6d

4.5/5

This modest documentary shows the human side of life under the Kremlin with unusual clarity.

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Calum Baker

Radio Times

Feb 23

4/5

American film-maker David Borenstein marshals Talankin's extensive footage, crafting a compact and compelling story with a range of interesting participants.

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Vas T

@VasTork 5d

Absolute dishonest piece of cheap propaganda. Nothing in this "film" is true. Just a story about a traitor, who made a film sponsored by western funding.

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Jonathan K

@aFIREintheattic Feb 21

The footage in this documentary is the remarkable part, right? Filming dissent of the war in Ukraine, the Russian military, and government from within Russia. Whether it's our own US propaganda influencing my perception or is the reality of the situation, the fact that this was sneakily (but also brazenly?) filmed and brought out for distribution is incredible. Or at least we are made to believe. I don't actually know how restrictive things are, but they are painted to be such. Hot take here: I'm a bit torn on this film, so I have to admit I get mild vibes that we're dealing with a little bit of an unreliable narrator. It felt in parts a tad performative, like he needed to tell us the impact, rather than just show us. I don't doubt that Russia's actions in Ukraine and the control over its own citizens are bad. I just think there was an unnecessary demonstrative blanket laid over it all. That said, when it came to showing... [continued on letterboxd]

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Sea S.

@lsdmt Feb 15

Phenomenal, deeply emotional, great cinematography

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Nguyễn Quỳnh T

@trangchipchip Feb 15

It is a great movie allowing us to get inside the story of how children are getting militerized exposure at such a young age, when as a Pasha said, they have not been able to decide for themselves yet. The movie is a powerful medium to channel abd voice Pasha's frustration of seeing his freedom as a teacher being taken away and of how the country's military plan governs too much of school life, also a portrait of how much he loves the children and his job as a teacher.

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Vera N

Feb 5

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 Feb 4

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

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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

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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): $78.5K
Runtime: 1h 30m

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