Mr. Nobody Against Putin

When Russia invades Ukraine in 2022, pro-democracy primary school teacher Pavel “Pasha” Talankin sees his school and pupils change. His classroom, once a safe place full of humour and democratic ideals, is used as a stage for state propaganda.

As he watches helplessly as lessons are overshadowed by patriotic rituals and young people are prepared for the front lines, Pasha begins filming undercover. Hundreds of hours of poignant footage reveal how the Russian state uses education as a propaganda machine to garner support for the war, but the more Pasha records, the more he puts himself at risk. This powerful documentary by directors David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin is a shocking and candid exposé of and about a courageous whistleblower who, at the risk of his own life, exposes the devastating militarisation of everyday life in Russia.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was awarded a World Cinema Special Jury Award. The documentary also made a big impression in our own country at film festivals such as Movies That Matter and Film by the Sea, and is Denmark's Oscar entry for Best International Film.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin is part of the “Filmmakers at Risk” selection at the Northern Film Festival, along with five other films from different programme lines and the panel on Friday afternoon: Filmmaking at Risk: The World is Watching.