Denmark has selected the Czech co-production Mr. Nobody Against Putin as its official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Academy Awards. The Danish-Czech documentary, directed by David Borenstein and Russian teacher-turned-filmmaker Pavel “Paša” Talankin, joins an unprecedented lineup of four Czech co-productions competing for the prize at next year’s Academy Awards.
Alongside Czechia’s own I’m Not Everything I Want to Be, Poland’s Franz, and Slovakia’s Father, this marks a rare moment of international recognition for Czech productions. The documentary, which examines the power of truth in an age of disinformation, opens in Czech cinemas on Nov. 6 following its screening at the recent Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.
A teacher’s defiance amid Russian propaganda
Mr. Nobody Against Putin follows Talankin, an elementary school teacher from the industrial town of Karabaš in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, who began documenting life in his classroom after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Initially instructed to record patriotic lessons for Russia’s Ministry of Education, Talankin soon turned his camera toward the growing climate of fear and state propaganda around him.
“Every day, I had to film children reciting slogans and teachers repeating lies,” Talankin said in a statement. “One day I asked myself if I had the moral right to delete those recordings. I decided I didn’t. Someday, people will need to look back and understand how it all happened.”
The footage, smuggled out of Russia, became the foundation of the 102-minute film co-directed with American filmmaker David Borenstein. The project was produced by Denmark’s Made in Copenhagen and Prague-based PINK Productions, whose founders Radovan Síbrt and Alžběta Karásková were previously involved in international award-winning documentaries including Over the Limit and Caught in the Net.
Síbrt recalls being contacted by Danish producer Helle Faber under strict secrecy. “She wouldn’t say much, only that there was a mysterious man in Russia filming military propaganda in schools,” he said. “It was clear that if the film was to be made, that man couldn’t stay in Russia.”
Talankin eventually fled to the European Union, where he was granted asylum. “If I were still in Russia, I’d already be in prison for many years,” he told reporters at the film’s Prague premiere. “I’m grateful that I can say these things out loud here.”
Czech craftsmanship behind an international success
Since its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival—where it won the Special Jury Award in the World Cinema Documentary section—Mr. Nobody Against Putin has screened at more than 100 international festivals, collecting 14 top prizes and three special mentions. Among them are awards from Cinetopia (U.S.), Biografilm (Italy), DocsBarcelona (Spain), and ZagrebDox (Croatia).
In Czechia, the film was featured earlier this year at the One World Film Festival and recently received the Audience Award at Ji.hlava. Its official Czech theatrical release, handled by distributor Bontonfilm, begins Nov. 6.
The Czech creative team played a key role in the film’s post-production. The soundtrack was composed by Michal Rataj, with post-production by Prague’s UPP studio, led by Ivo Marák. Visual materials were contributed by photographer František Svatoš. The project also received support from the Czech Audiovisual Fund, Czech Television, and the Czech Film Center.
Producer Karásková described the collaboration as both professional and deeply personal. “This film resonates not only on an artistic level but as a human story about courage and the need to speak the truth,” she said. “For us, the Oscar campaign feels like a symbolic culmination of that journey.”
As screenings for members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continue in the United States, Mr. Nobody Against Putin stands out as a testament to international cooperation — and to the Czech Republic’s growing reputation in politically engaged documentary production.
Whether or not the film secures a nomination, its message is already reaching audiences far beyond the borders of Karabaš. “It’s important that people everywhere know such places exist,” Talankin said. “That’s why I keep filming — so that the truth doesn’t disappear.”
Lead photo: Pavel Talankin in Mr. Nobody Against Putin (2025) © PINK / František Svatoš
