Tag Archives: Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Mr. Nobody Wins an Oscar

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In February, I had the privilege of attending a special screening of Mr. Nobody Against Putin at the Smith Rafael Film Center with the director, producer, and Mr. Nobody in attendance for a Q&A. Last night, the film surprisingly won an Oscar for Best Documentary, beating the other nominees. In my last blog post, I recommended the film as an anti-authoritarian double-feature with the Ukrainian documentary Porcelain War from 2025.

Mr. Nobody is Pavel Talankin, Pasha, a primary school teacher in a small Russian town, who uses his role as school videographer to fight back against Vladimir Putin’s propaganda campaign justifying his war in Ukraine. Pasha is increasingly frustrated and outraged, and as his opposition to the propaganda becomes more evident, his position is increasingly precarious. He clearly sees the effects of mobilization and conscription on the school’s graduates. Young men with few good options join the army and serve in Ukraine. Some do not return.

Each documentary is a heart-wrenching testimony to resistance. They offer mirror images of the same story. Porcelain War focuses on the existential threat faced by Ukrainians under Russian attack, while Mr. Nobody reveals the evil depths to which Putin is going to justify his war by spreading lies and misinformation. In this respect, there are striking similarities between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s war on Iran. Truth is always the first casualty in war, and Trump is shamelessly using Putin’s playbook, page by page.

As Dan Rather puts it today in his Team Steady newsletter:

Every wartime administration has sugarcoated the news, but Trump’s effort for a truth-free war is more complex and potentially life-threatening than most. Three weeks in, we know there is no quick fix and no way for Trump to lie his way out of it, as the Iranian government says it sees no reason to negotiate.

Mr. Nobody will likely be shown at independent film theaters such as the Smith Rafael Film Center in the Bay Area. It is also available for streaming on Apple TV. Porcelain War is streaming on the PBS POV series from your local station.

The lesson from these films is to do whatever you can; every little gesture of resistance is essential. Support local arts organizations, especially for music, movies, theater, and visual arts. Stay informed by supporting independent and local media outlets while we still have some. Find community groups doing work for the common good and volunteer to help. Speak out on behalf of the most vulnerable, demonized people and groups. Try to be as courageous, honorable, and resourceful as Ukrainians and muted Russian dissenters.

A Companion film for Porcelain War?

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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.