Mr. Nobody Against Putin is an Oscar-nominated documentary with a compelling portrait of resistance to autocracy and fascism. I had the privilege of seeing a special screening of this film at the Smith Rafael Film Center with the director, producer, and Mr. Nobody in attendance for a Q&A. Mr. Nobody is Pavel Talankin, Pasha, a primary school teacher in a small Russian town, who decides to use his skills to fight back against Vladimir Putin’s school-based propaganda campaign justifying his war in Ukraine. It begins with his annoyance at how Moscow’s demands are making his work and that of other teachers more burdensome, then quickly pivots into filming an undercover documentary in his role as the school videographer.

The propaganda campaign becomes more and more intrusive until students are marching in military-style uniforms and getting weapons presentations from Wagner Group mercenaries. Pasha is increasingly frustrated and outraged, and his opposition to the propaganda becomes more evident. He clearly sees the effects of mobilization and conscription on the young people in his town. Young men with few good job options join the army and serve in Ukraine. Some do not return.

It would make an excellent double-feature with the film Porcelain War, which I wrote about in 2025. This film is available for streaming in the PBS POV series. Both films offer a close-up view of how ordinary people exercise their agency and courage to resist oppression. And both films focus more on acts of grace, love, and humanity than on war. That’s what makes the films so dramatically powerful.

The film is now showing at the Smith Rafael Film Center and other independent film theaters in the Bay Area. It is also available for streaming on Apple TV. Putin, like Trump, is a big believer in HIS freedom of expression. This film shows how ruthlessly he peddles his big lies to school children and teachers. Trump has not extended his propaganda in this sector, but you can be sure he admires the roadmap.