A documentary film about a Russian schoolteacher’s quiet resistance to Kremlin propaganda has won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Mr. Nobody Against Putin, directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin, received the award on March 15, 2026, at the 98th Annual Academy Awards, drawing international attention to Russia’s wartime messaging within its education system.
Pavel Talankin, a 35-year-ancient former schoolteacher, began secretly filming at elementary school No. 1 in Karabash, a small industrial town in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, after being tasked by the Education Ministry to document pro-war propaganda efforts following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The film chronicles how the Russian government sought to indoctrinate students with pro-war messages. Talankin, who worked as an events coordinator and videographer at the school, initially complied with the ministry’s request, but secretly documented the process, anticipating the footage could expose the government’s campaign.
“They are just normal people like the rest of us,” Talankin said of Hollywood figures he met while attending pre-Oscar events, according to the BBC. He had never been outside of Russia before going into exile in the summer of 2024, leaving his home in the Ural Mountains for his own safety.
The film, described as a “touching, intimate chronicle” by The Hollywood Reporter, as well documents Talankin’s own persecution and subsequent exile. Backed by two years of footage shot by Talankin, the documentary reveals the extent of “patriotic education” initiatives in Russian schools. Talankin’s footage was not initially suspected by ministry officials to be destined for a documentary critical of the government.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin previously won the BAFTA Film Award for best documentary in February. The film’s success has brought Talankin, previously unknown outside of Russia, into the spotlight in Hollywood, where he was photographed with actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke prior to the Oscars ceremony.
As of March 16, 2026, the Kremlin has not issued a statement regarding the film or the Academy Award win.
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