As Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, primary schools across Russia’s hinterlands are transformed into recruitment stages for the war. Facing the ethical dilemma of working in a system defined by propaganda and violence, a brave teacher goes undercover to film what’s really happening in his own school.
Rated 4.3 / 5 from 2 logs on Katalog
Mr Nobody Against Putin is a 2025 documentary film directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin. It follows Pavel Talankin in his work at a local school in Karabash, a small mining town near the Ural Mountains. As Talankin films his students, the documentary also captures the broader context of the Putin administration’s efforts to shape public perception during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. The film offers an intimate glimpse into life in Karabash, showing how children, teachers, and families navigate daily life from February 2022 through the summer of 2024. Talankin reportedly recorded dozens of hours of footage, yet only 90 minutes made it into the final cut. The documentary includes heartbreaking moments that reflect how the war has disrupted and devastated the lives of young people in the town. The film is compelling and thought-provoking, shedding light on the resilience of ordinary people under extraordinary circumstances. 7.5/10
I am always shocked with how quickly masses are steered into adopting an imposed opinion. It is also interesting to watch all the actors in this small town and try to understand all the dynamics: why some stay silent yet oppose, why some are fervent supporters of the new order, and so on. This town is a small sample of something that is actually replicated on a bigger scale. It seems that technology and societal advancements don’t change anything, the recipe has always been the same. At the very end I question myself: what would I've done if I were in the same situation?
