In the extraordinary new documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin, an unassuming primary school teacher in Russia’s Ural Mountains emerges as an unlikely hero, armed only with a video camera and the courage to speak truth to power. Through his lens, Pavel “Pasha” Talankin captures a searing portrait of how Vladimir Putin’s nationalist propaganda campaign infiltrates every corner of Russian life – even the minds of Pasha’s young students.
Talankin, who dubs himself a “nobody,” never aspired to take on the Russian regime. He is content in his role as the school videographer in his hometown of Karabash, known mainly for its toxic waste. But when Putin enacts a new “patriotic education policy” following the invasion of Ukraine, Pasha becomes alarmed by the blatant lies and militaristic rituals suddenly thrust upon his previously carefree pupils.
From School Videographer to Accidental Dissident
Ironically, it is Pasha’s very job as the school’s videographer that enables him to document Putin’s ideological encroachment in painstaking detail. Expected to provide proof of the propaganda’s successful implementation, he instead captures the slow, heartbreaking corruption of young minds.
Over months, Pasha’s raw footage reveals the insidious methods of state coercion – forcing kids to march in formation, pledge allegiance to false pretexts for war, and aspire to take up arms for the motherland. His once lively classroom slowly empties as students become too frightened to speak their minds.
Bearing Witness to a Generation’s Indoctrination
Perhaps the film’s most poignant scenes take place outside the classroom, as Pasha spends time with his beloved students grappling with their harsh new reality. With aching intimacy, he records their tears, their forced bravado, and the fracturing of lifelong friendships as young men face conscription into an unjust war.
Talankin possesses a savvy for the aching, small details – a quick glance from one beloved student that belies her steely equanimity over her brother’s deployment.
– Adrian Horton, The Guardian
In unflinching detail, Mr Nobody Against Putin lays bare the workings of Putin’s propaganda machine at the most granular level. It shows us how readily youthful exuberance can be channeled into nationalist fervor, how easily everyday routines can be weaponized in service of the state.
An Act of Courage and a Stirring Tribute
In the end, Talankin’s daring documentation comes at great personal cost. Unwilling to be a tool of the regime, he ultimately flees Russia for an undisclosed location – a wrenching postscript to an already gutting portrait of a school, and a society, transformed.
Yet in its very existence, Mr Nobody Against Putin stands as a valiant act of resistance. It is a clarion call to bear witness, to speak out against injustice no matter the consequences. It is an unforgettable tribute to the students whose lives have been irrevocably altered, and to the power of one resolute nobody to expose the truth.
This must-watch documentary transcends its Russian context to deliver a stark warning about the fragility of freedom in the face of unchecked authoritarianism. It is a testament to the vital role of independent voices in shining a light on repression – and a reminder that no one, in the end, is ever truly a nobody in the fight against tyranny.
