©Courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival
“Hailed” as one of the most polluted cities in the world, Karabash regularly draws obnoxious YouTubers, who mock its toxic Communist-era legacy. It is exactly the kind of economically-marginalized provincial Russian city that disproportionately supplies recruits and conscripts for Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine. Karabash is 1,600 miles from Ukraine, but the war becomes a constant presence at Pavel “Pasha” Talankin’s primary school, due to the voluminous classroom propaganda mandated by the state.
Talankin conscientiously mentored his students, so his new duties as an indoctrinator obviously troubled him—perhaps too obviously. Consequently, Talankin realized he needed to leave Russia, sooner rather than later. While making his hasty exit, Talankin smuggled out a wealth of footage exposing the propaganda corrupting his school that he and Danish filmmaker David Borenstein incorporated into the documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, which had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Technically, Talankin was not a teacher. He was the school’s events coordinator and video archivist. Of course, his kids adored him, because almost everything that was fun at school, he planned. He also served as videographer during every campus performance, sports meet, and assembly. Conveniently, that meant he never looked suspicious carrying a video camera.
©Courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival
Ironically, the Orwellian “lessons” all Russian teachers were now required to deliver, celebrating the Russian military and demonizing Ukraine, meant considerably more work for Talankin. As the school’s video specialist, he was now required to record each teacher’s propaganda lectures and download the videos to the Russian Ministry of Education’s website, to prove their compliance.
From an educational perspective, these increasingly strident scripts have little or no value. Perhaps regime loyalists could argue the kids might learn something when Wagner mercenaries hold an assembly to teach the student body how to properly handle hand grenades and landmines, but at the point, there is no denying the militarization of civilian education. Yes, that really happened—and Talankin has the video to prove it.
As viewers might guess, Talankin was less than thrilled with the new curriculum and pedagogical tone. He also finds himself increasingly isolated due to his reputation for supporting Russia’s beleaguered democratic reform movement. Some viewers might also pick up on indirect hints Talankin could have other personal reasons to be out of step with the Putin regime, but the film scrupulously keeps his personal life private, which is completely appropriate. Even though he has become an international whistle-blower with this film, which credits him as a “co-director” and sole cinematographer, he is still entitled to his privacy.
©Courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival
Nevertheless, Talankin should take all due precautions, because the militancy of the classroom propaganda documented in Mr. Nobody Against Putin should embarrass the regime. Tragically, embarrassing Putin often leads to drastically shortened life-spans. Nevertheless, Karabash residents already face an average life-expectancy of a 45 years, due to the widespread mercury contamination—a grim fact that maybe helped put things into perspective for Talankin.
Yet, that should not diminish viewers’ appreciation of Talankin’s courage. In fact, the prologue, shot during his escape from Russian (ostensibly leaving on a tourist visa, with a return ticket) immediately establishes a visceral sense of danger. Indeed, film editors Rebekka Lenqvist and Nikolaj Monberg skillfully shaped a compelling narrative out of Talankin’s revelatory footage.
More than any prior documentary, Mr. Nobody Against Putin truly exposes how profoundly the former KGB agent turned elected-dictator has corrupted Russian society. Even hawkish Putin-critics will be shocked, so say a prayer for Talankin. Arguably, this is one of the few documentaries that genuinely deserves adjectives like “brave” and “daring.” Very highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand the true state of Russian society, Mr. Nobody Against Putin has further in-person and online screenings during this year’s Sundance—and it deserves a long subsequent life on the festival circuit.
Grade: A+
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