Cinédialoog: Mr. Nobody Against Putin

As part of the exhibition Artists Against the Kremlin, we screen the documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin: a special collaboration between Danish filmmaker David Borenstein and Pasha Talankin, a brave teacher working in the small Russian town Karabash. As Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, primary schools across Russia are transformed into recruitment stages for the war. Facing the ethical dilemma of working in a system defined by propaganda and violence, Pasha starts filming what’s really happening in his own school. Mr. Nobody Against Putin reveals the profoun impact of Putin’s regime on the lives of everyday Russians, particularly its children.

Pavel ‘Pasha’ (33) is a teacher at a small primary school in a Russian town. In ordinary times, he is a beloved mentor, prankster, and nonconformist, known for hanging up democracy posters and offering a safe haven in his office for students who feel out of place. However, after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pasha took on the role of international whistleblower, exposing the devastating effects of Russia’s aggressive militarization within its own schools.

To cope with his guilt and feelings of powerlessness, he records hundreds of hours of footage inside classrooms and on school grounds. What emerges is the story of an institution abruptly transformed: propaganda, repressive new laws, militarized children’s organisations, and the eventual recruitment of graduating students to fight in Ukraine. When Pasha learns his own life may be in danger, he is forced to plan a daring escape from Russia. 

About Artists Against the Kremlin

This summer, Artists Against the Kremlin returns to De Balie with the exhibition VIRUS featuring over 100 works by artists from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and the global diaspora—including names like Nadya Tolokonnikova (Pussy Riot), Danila Tkachenko, and Sasha Skochilenko. The exhibition brings together artists who, among other themes, speak out against Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.