In brief
A court in Chelyabinsk, Russia, has ruled against the documentary 'Mr Nobody Against Putin', citing it as extremist. The film, which documents the indoctrination of schoolchildren in Russia post-invasion of Ukraine, had recently won an Oscar. Russian authorities have ramped up their censorship efforts amidst growing dissent and international scrutiny.
A court in Russia has banned the documentary 'Mr Nobody Against Putin' from three streaming platforms on the grounds that it 'propagates extremism and terrorism'.The BBC documentary, which won an Oscar earlier this month, documents the ramping up of war propaganda in a Russian school following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It is based on footage collected by Pavel Talankin, a school events coordinator who later fled Russia.Prosecutors argued that the documentary expressed a 'negative attitude towards the [war in Ukraine] and the current government', according to Russian media. The deputy prosecutor also said the film featured the flag of a 'terrorist organisation', referring to the white-blue-white flag that has been used by anti-war protesters.The ruling was issued by a court in the city of Chelyabinsk, near Talankin's former school, and mandates the removal of the film from three online video platforms.Earlier in March, a Russian governmental human rights body condemned the documentary for using footage of children collected without their parents' consent and stated it would appeal to the Academy that awards the Oscars to launch an investigation.'Mr Nobody Against Putin' charts the Kremlin-mandated indoctrination of Russian schoolchildren, including lectures on the need to 'denazify' Ukraine, speeches by war veterans, and lessons on how to spot mines and handle guns.The documentary also features stories of Talankin's former students who joined the army and died in Ukraine, as well as his own acts of resistance. In his Oscars acceptance speech, Talankin emphasized the importance of peace, stating, 'For our future, and for the sake of all our children, let's end all wars'.Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has ramped up its repression of dissenting voices, leading to significant censorship and harsh penalties for public opposition to the war. The documentary, a Danish-Czech production, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature and the Bafta award for Best Documentary earlier in 2026. The Kremlin has sidestepped questions about the documentary following its Oscar win, as President Putin criticized the foreign films while discussing support for domestic producers.
