March 27, 2026

The Film about Putin That Won an Oscar


The Film about Putin That Won an Oscar

When the film “Mr. Nobody against Putin,” which deals with propaganda in Russian schools, was screened in the West, Russian official media, of course, was quick to condemn it as "Russophobic." Now that the film won the 2026 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, it's getting even more attention.

Its main character and co-director, Pavel Talankin, a former employee of a provincial school, has been branded a traitor to the motherland. In addition, Russia's Presidential Council for Human Rights filed a complaint with the Academy Awards organizing committee and UNESCO regarding the use of footage of children without their parents’ consent.

“You have to admit, it’s kind of strange when, in the 21st century, a grown man secretly films children,” a regional newspaper wrote. “By the way, it’s unclear whether he filmed them only while they were dressed. Or did he peek into the boys’ locker room?” An anonymous author called Talankin a “Judas” whom “the whole town is dishing the dirt on.” There were also reports that the relatives of the former school events coordinator were being threatened, and that his mother had even been forced to resign from her job as a librarian at the same school.

The publication New Tab traveled to the city of Karabash to find out if people there really hate Talankin that much. Some Karabash residents reacted sharply to questions about the film, but many, including his former students, spoke warmly of their former neighbor. “He’s a good guy,” said the flower seller who sold Talankin a bouquet for his mother in the film. “It’s his decision, his opinion. Since we’re human beings, we have to respect every opinion, right? You do understand why we don't say anything, don't you?”

Talankin’s mother still works at the school; in an interview the day after the Oscar ceremony, Talankin said that she brought a cake to work that morning to treat her colleagues in celebration of her son’s victory. 

The film and the award caused heated debate in opposition circles, but the Kremlin is largely pretending that nothing happened. The head of the presidential press service said at a briefing with journalists that he could not comment on the film because he hadn’t seen it, and state media simply did not report in the news that a Russian had won an Oscar. Neither federal TV channels nor major news agencies mentioned it. 

However, the propagandists did not present a unified front. While some ignored the American award entirely, others reported on the winners in the other categories and omitted this film. There were also some state-controlled media outlets that reported on the film’s success very briefly, without going into detail. The most original approach came from the Ura.ru, which published a news item titled “A film about president Vladimir Putin won an Oscar.” However, the statement soon disappeared from the site. 

 

You Might Also Like

A Victory for Navalny
  • March 16, 2023

A Victory for Navalny

The Navalny film won the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 95th Academy Awards.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955