‘Mr Nobody Against Putin’ wins Oscar

A documentary exposing how schools in Russia are used to promote war and loyalty to Vladimir Putin has won the Academy Award for best documentary feature, delivering one of the most openly political moments of the night.

Mr Nobody Against Putin, directed by Russian teacher Pavel Talankin and filmmaker David Borenstein, chronicles how state propaganda reached classrooms after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Talankin secretly filmed lessons, patriotic chants and war messaging inside his small-town school before smuggling hard drives out of Russia to complete the film abroad. Accepting the Oscar through a translator, he used the stage to call for peace. “In the name of our future, in the name of all of our children, stop all of these wars now,” he said.

A teacher’s rebellion against propaganda

The documentary captures the pressure placed on teachers and students as the Kremlin expanded patriotic education following the invasion.

Talankin, once a school activities director, documents children being encouraged to repeat slogans and songs backing the war. The footage offers a rare inside look at how Russia’s political messaging is delivered to its youngest citizens.

Borenstein told the audience the film shows how authoritarian systems take hold gradually. “It’s about how you lose your country,” he said. “Through countless small acts of complicity.”

His remarks drew loud applause when he warned that democracies also face the danger of silence when power becomes concentrated and dissent disappears.

War in Ukraine dominates documentary spotlight

The victory continues a run of Ukraine-related films dominating major documentary awards. Last year, 20 Days in Mariupol won the same category for its frontline reporting from the besieged Ukrainian city.

Mr Nobody Against Putin premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and later picked up a major prize at the BAFTA Film Awards before its Oscar triumph.

The film’s win surprised some industry observers, who had tipped rival nominees to take the prize.

For Talankin, the moment marked a remarkable journey — from a provincial Russian classroom to Hollywood’s biggest stage — and a rare public rebuke of the Kremlin’s wartime narrative.

Mr Nobody against Putin wins the best documentary Oscar