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Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Play trailer 2:05 Poster for Mr. Nobody Against Putin Jan 2026 1h 30m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 51 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 100+ 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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Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Mr. Nobody Against Putin

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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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Critics Reviews

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G. Allen Johnson San Francisco Chronicle Mar 23
4/4
To show a totalitarian country in pure propaganda mode is instructive and impactful. Go to Full Review
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. Go to Full Review
Leslie Felperin The Hollywood Reporter Jan 29
[A] touching, intimate chronicle. Go to Full Review
Glenn Dunks reDocumented May 13
Talankin is petty and rash and that attitude carries over into the film. It’s a whirlwind of emotions like a kid going through the turbulence of growing up. That tonal surprise is one of its biggest assets. Go to Full Review
Dennis Harvey 48 Hills Apr 14
While imperfect, the feature does vividly convey modern life in provincial Russia -- where people seem to basically expect to get steamrolled by the government, but lack the information sources to grasp how and why. Go to Full Review
Ian Hrabe MovieJawn Apr 11
A haunting depiction of the reality of war Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Vixo S @vixo_six 1d Mr. Nobody Against Putin is a rough but powerful documentary about propaganda, education and the risk of recording what power wants hidden. Its technical fragility becomes part of its identity, making the film feel like a document created at the edge of danger rather than a polished production. The most disturbing element is how politics enters ordinary life, especially the classroom. A place meant to open minds slowly becomes a tool for obedience, where children repeat ideas they cannot fully understand and war begins to feel like something shaped through language and ritual. The protagonist gives the film its strongest tension. He loves his country, his work and his students, yet that loyalty pushes him toward an act that can be seen as betrayal. The documentary is not always easy to connect with, but it leaves a clear warning: when fear and propaganda shape a generation, the damage continues long after the war. See more Rodney O @RT95251251 Jun 4 Brave film making. The personal is always political. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. See more Christian M @chriss17eu Jun 1 The problem is that I don’t care. The documentary is morally and thematically solid, but it never manages to emotionally involve me. As one figure says, "I don’t care if it’s not happening to me," and while I recognize that may reflect my own lack of empathy, the film itself doesn’t bridge that distance. The execution is what fails. From the beginning I feel detached, and I watch it more out of obligation than interest. Scene after scene about serious political and social issues, but instead of being moved, I become increasingly indifferent. For a film like this, that lack of impact is fatal. I do value the risk taken by Pavel Ilych Talankin, and it reminds me of Jafar Panahi’s approach in 'It Was Just an Accident', but that courage isn’t enough to carry the experience. Narratively it is correct but not engaging for me. The pacing feels heavy despite its short runtime, and ultimately it’s a well-made documentary that doesn’t work on a personal level. See more Wayne M @Wayne93 May 14 Mr. Nobody Against Putin is a compelling and important documentary about the dangers of totalitarianism. It's both instructive and informative. The film is about Pavel Talankin, a videographer at Karabash Primary School, which is in a poor town deep in the Urals of Russia. He films school activities, but it takes a turn when the Russia Ukraine conflict breaks out. At this point the government instructs schools to undertake 'patriotic displays', which Pavel duly films. It's a great glimpse into how totalitarian regimes work and the propaganda that they use. When a British crew gets in touch with him to keep filming, he does so even if it actually puts him in danger. Pavel also films stories of the young people in the village and how the war shapes them. Films like feel more important than ever. See more Sara Elizabeth G @Elizabeth354 Apr 18 Es muy fuerte de ver, como les quieren lavar el cerebro para morir "por una causa de honor", pero solo es pura propaganda para carne de cañon. See more Alan Q @RT14308229 Apr 4 I came into the film wondering how Pavel "Pasha" Talankin managed to make it at all. As an outsider, I kept noticing moments where he’s fully in frame while the camera moves, raising the question of who was behind the lens. Talankin mentions an assistant videographer hired by the school, and the film hints that this colleague may have quietly supported him beyond official duties. What ultimately struck me, though, was how the children are pulled into state propaganda, embodied by history teacher Pavel Abdulmanov, who feels like a Cold War villain made real. The students lingered with me most—Masha, shifting from bright‑eyed warmth to fear as her brother goes to war, and the boys, transformed from clean‑cut teens into reluctant recruits. It’s a quietly devastating documentary that earns every bit of its acclaim. See more Read all reviews
Mr. Nobody Against Putin

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Movie Info

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)
$250.3K
Runtime
1h 30m