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

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

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. 

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

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