Movie Review: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
One-liner: This brave all-access pass documentary offers a chilling fly-on-the-wall perspective of a school indoctrination at the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin’s eye-opening documentary, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, offers a chillingly intimate look at the creeping militarization of Russian schools during the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Set in the small, ecologically devastated town of Karabash, the bold film follows Pavel Talankin, a school videographer, as he chronicles his own institution’s transformation from an ordinary school into a breeding ground for military indoctrination under President Vladimir Putin’s re-instituted youth programs.
What makes Mr. Nobody Against Putin so compelling is Talankin’s unique vantage point. As the school’s videographer, he already had unrestricted access to daily school life, allowing him to seamlessly transition into documenting the increasingly pervasive military lesson plans. He roams freely, observing every school situation without initial prejudice. However, as the documentary progresses, Talankin’s anti-war sentiments subtly begin to filter into his work, creating a growing distance with his once-beloved students, who fear association with anything perceived as anti-Putin, causing alienation from fellow teachers.
It’s astounding that Talankin was granted such free rein, given his deliberate attempts to de-escalate and undermine Russian propaganda. This subversive activist and political agitator subtly mirrors the quiet resistance of many protesters, operating from within the system. The documentary masterfully captures the unsettling tension of innocence being corrupted and reprogrammed, as childhood gives way to war preparation and attempts to normalize the conflict. The backdrop of Karabash, one of the most toxic places on Earth with a tragically low life expectancy, only amplifies the unsettling nature of this indoctrination, preying on a youth with already limited prospects.
“Because my motherland said so…”
Comprised mainly of footage shot within the school, Mr. Nobody Versus Putin also ventures out to capture stories of young conscripts heading to war and a poignant graduation and farewell. Operating covertly, Talankin occasionally feels surveilled, yet he remarkably manages to fly under the radar, truly acting as a fly-on-the-wall. He punctuates these observations with personal interview footage, offering his remarks on the situation and his own involvement, acting as a narrator to guide the story.
This is a profoundly brave undertaking. Talankin’s work provides outsiders with an unfiltered, raw picture of how military action impacted students, teachers, and parents, and the deliberate, hard-hitting nature of the propaganda unleashed upon them. An important film from the inside, Mr. Nobody Against Putin echoes the scenario of Hollywoodgate, where a filmmaker moves among their subjects with trepidation but without prejudice. Despite some close calls, Talankin captures a critical moment in time, under the ever-present threat of disappearing or being apprehended by the government for his anti-war sentiments and his subtle efforts to circumvent the brainwashing of the school and its students.
The bottom line: Intrepid
