A Russian teacher secretly documents his small town school's transformation into a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion, revealing the ethical dilemmas educators face amid propaganda and militarization.
Winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary 2026.
Genre: documentary
Language: Russian, subtitles: English
Length: 1 hr 30 mins (2025)
In the small Russian town of Karabash, some 1,400 kilometers east of Moscow, Pavel “Pasha” Talankin stands in front of his class. He is a modest man, but beloved by his pupils for his humour and concern for their welfare.
When Russia invades Ukraine, his school is transformed into a stage for state propaganda: flags are raised, history books are rewritten, and children are made to parade and sing songs praising the army. Pasha is tasked with recording it all on camera. But his video footage show no jubilant patriotism; only a growing fear of war, a loss of freedom and the militarization of an entire generation.
Despite its heavy subject, Talankin manages to keep the film light-hearted and at times even humorous. This “nobody” from the provinces turns out to be a sharp and compelling storyteller, capturing with striking clarity how state control, bordering on totalitarianism, shapes everyday life.
Chronicling one whistleblower's uphill struggle with clear-eyed insight, Mr. Nobody Against Putin is a powerful documentary that highlights the resilience of ordinary people in the face of institutional power.
Awards
It won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. And recently it won Best Documentary Feature at the 98th Academy Awards.
Reviews
“To show a totalitarian country in pure propaganda mode is instructive and impactful..” San Francisco Chronicle
“Intimate doc captures the slow erosion of hope in the Russian hinterlands.” The Hollywood Reporter
“Through the eyes of its delightfully brave, yet utterly relatable subject (also the de facto cinematographer), this terrifying, revelatory and poignant exposé offers an unseen human angle on an ongoing conflict.” Variety
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Ticket information
This film will be shown at Filmhuis De Zwarte Doos.
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Please be on time
The screening of the film begin promptly at 19:30 (with no pre-film advertisements), and the cinema hall will open at 19:10. We kindly request that you arrive at the ticket counter at least 10 minutes before the start of the film to ensure a smooth and timely experience for all.
The Studium Generale film program is created in collaboration with the Student Film Committee and Natlab.