The Czech-Danish documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin has won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, marking the first Oscar victory for a Czech production in nearly three decades.
The film, directed by Pavel Talankin and David Borenstein and produced by Radovan Síbrt and Alžběta Karásková, took the top prize during the 98th Academy Awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The win represents a rare moment of global recognition for a Czech-backed documentary and highlights the continued international reach of the country’s film industry.
Accepting the award, Talankin used the stage to deliver a political message about war and propaganda. “In the name of our future, in the name of all of our children, stop all of these wars now,” he said on stage through a translator.
A rare Oscar win for Czech cinema
The victory for Mr Nobody Against Putin marks the first time in 30 years that a Czech production has taken home an Oscar. The last came in 1997, when the Czech film industry celebrated a win for Jan Svěrák’s Kolya, which earned the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
While Czech filmmakers and technicians have frequently contributed to international productions in the decades since, Oscar wins tied directly to Czech productions have remained rare. The success of Mr Nobody Against Putin, a Czech-Danish co-production, therefore represents a significant moment for the country’s film sector.
Produced by Prague-based company PINK Productions, the documentary had already attracted international attention following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and subsequent festival circuit. The project reflects a growing trend in Czech cinema toward international co-productions, particularly in documentary filmmaking.
At the Oscars ceremony, producers Síbrt and Karásková joined Talankin and Borenstein on stage to accept the award, highlighting the collaborative nature of the project. In remarks reported from the ceremony, Borenstein described the film as a story about “how someone loses their country,” adding that the process can unfold faster than many people expect.
Inside a school shaped by propaganda
Mr Nobody Against Putin follows Talankin, a schoolteacher in the industrial Russian town of Karabash, who begins documenting the transformation of his school after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Initially tasked with filming official school events, Talankin gradually turns his camera toward the increasing militarization of the education system around him.
The documentary captures a series of unsettling changes: teachers reciting government-approved pro-war messaging, students participating in military-style drills, and outside instructors introducing children to weapons training. As the film progresses, the effects of war become more personal, with former students sent to the front lines.
The Prague Reporter described the film as “an urgent and invaluable document of life inside contemporary Russia,” noting how Talankin’s access as a school videographer allowed him to record scenes rarely seen by outside audiences.
The footage carries particular power because it was originally intended as state propaganda. Instead, Talankin ultimately smuggled the material out of Russia, enabling Borenstein and producers in Denmark and Czechia to shape it into the finished documentary.
The resulting film offers a rare inside look at how war rhetoric and political messaging filter into everyday life. Rather than focusing solely on the battlefield, the documentary examines the long-term consequences of state messaging on younger generations.
The film’s Oscar win underscores the growing influence of politically engaged documentary filmmaking and the role international co-productions play in bringing such stories to global audiences. For Czech cinema, the award also represents a reminder of the country’s continued presence on the world stage—three decades after its last Oscar victory.
Lead photo: Facebook / By PINK
