Pavel Talankin had never ventured beyond Russia’s borders until the summer of 2024, when he went into exile. Driven from his home in the Ural Mountains for his own safety, Talankin had quietly defied President Putin’s war machine.
In a remarkable turn of events, “Pasha,” as he is known, has transformed in under two years from an events coordinator and videographer at a primary school in Karabash—one of the world’s most polluted locales—to an Academy Award winner.
Prior to his win, the director embraced his newfound fame, capturing selfies with Hollywood luminaries, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke, both contenders for this year’s Best Actor award.
“They are just normal people like the rest of us,” he remarked during our meeting in Los Angeles ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony.
Yet, Pasha is anything but ordinary. This unlikely hero’s film, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” created in collaboration with Copenhagen-based American director David Borenstein, had already clinched the Best Documentary award at the BAFTA Film Awards in February. At the time of our conversation, he was unaware that he would also secure the Oscar for Best Documentary.
The self-proclaimed Mr. Nobody has now become a significant figure in Hollywood.
Our meeting coincided with Pasha’s 35th birthday. He arrived for the interview carrying shiny pink balloons shaped like a ‘3’ and a ‘5,’ which he cheerfully announced he had purchased that morning.
Leading up to the awards, his most pressing concern regarding the Oscars revolved around the statuette itself.
“How much does it weigh?” he inquired. “This question fascinates me because the plastic Chinese replicas sold everywhere weigh next to nothing. I’m curious about the real weight.”
For those curious, the answer is 3.86kg. This question exemplifies his sardonic humor, delivered with utmost seriousness.
Humor also plays a central role in the film, despite its weighty subject matter.
“Pasha has clearly used humor as a coping mechanism for the events unfolding around him,” Borenstein explained.
“And of course, humor has always been an integral part of life under authoritarian regimes. Soviet jokes are some of the best. It’s simply how people endure.”
The BBC documentary chronicles the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Pasha’s reluctant entanglement in Putin’s propaganda apparatus.
His role at the school primarily involved filming student music videos, performances, and graduation ceremonies.
However, the war ushered in mandates from the Kremlin, injecting increased patriotism, militarization, and a sense of duty into school life, along with flag-raising ceremonies.
Pasha stated that he was instructed to film and submit proof to the authorities that the school was adhering to the updated curriculum.
He realized that he had become “a kind of monitor of the teachers, compelling them to adhere strictly to the government’s guidelines, knowing I was filming.”
At considerable personal risk, he rebelled and decided to become a filmmaking whistleblower. He began transmitting his footage to Borenstein through encrypted servers, a spontaneous decision with far-reaching consequences.
“In those moments, I was driven by rage,” he recalled. “I didn’t care. I thought, let anyone make this film, let anyone edit it. The priority is to show what is happening.”
Borenstein added: “We believed it was imperative for the world to understand that Putin has no intention of confining his ambitions to Ukraine… he is indoctrinating the children of Russia daily, preparing them for a future of warfare and Empire.”
Pasha documented Wagner mercenary group soldiers demonstrating mine detection and gun handling to children at the school, as well as teachers lecturing students on the “denazification” of Ukraine.
The film features the stories of former students who died on the battlefield, and a mother grieving at her son’s graveside. The funeral was too dangerous for Talankin to film, but he captured her agonizing audio testimony.
The documentary also portrays his own acts of defiance.
A true prankster, he altered the pro-war Z symbols on the school windows to Xs and removed the school’s Russian flag while playing Lady Gaga singing the US National Anthem.
Despite standing up to the regime, he refuses to acknowledge his bravery.
“No,” he told me, “it’s just normal.”
Borenstein disagrees. “I would describe him as exceptionally brave, deeply emotional, passionately committed to truth, and someone who truly, deeply loves his birthday.”
For the filmmakers outside Russia, protecting Pasha and the people in the film from potential repercussions was paramount.
“We implemented a comprehensive array of security protocols,” Borenstein explained, “and we received dire assessments of the risks within Russia.
“We were following news reports about school teachers and other individuals in Russia who received severe prison sentences, not for collaborating with foreigners or creating an undercover film, but simply for defacing the Russian flag, a minor act he portrayed in the film.”
“We were afraid, but he wasn’t.”
Eventually, when Pasha noticed a police car outside his apartment and concerns arose about the potential threat to his life, he realized it was time to escape.
In the film, we hear a Russian-speaking producer advising him: “Before you cross the border, you must delete our secure messaging app.
“Be very careful about transporting your footage past border control. Just stay calm. You have a return ticket. They’ll assume you’re returning in seven days. Believe in what you’ve done. I think you’re going to make a huge impact.”
He left his homeland—and his mother—and now resides in a secret location in Europe, believing his exile will be temporary. “When the regime falls, I plan to return and be of service.”
Currently, his focus is on maximizing the film’s reach. He is aware that people in Karabash have seen it.
During its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last year, Borenstein said someone recorded it digitally and circulated it throughout the town.
According to Talankin, nearly 200,000 teachers resigned rather than participate in a system that indoctrinates children.
He hopes “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” will demonstrate to Russians “who share my views that they are not alone.”
On the day of our meeting, as we strolled along the sunny Santa Monica pier, the shadow of the war still loomed. He shared news he had received just hours before.
“Today, I learned that one of my students died.”
Nineteen-year-old Nikita was killed in Ukraine, he said. “I knew him. He was kind and would never have gone without the propaganda.”
It marked a somber end to our time together.
But if “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” wins the Oscar, his acceptance speech will be written by his former students. They are already working on it.
“If we win, it’s going to be their speech.”
Storyville: Mr. Nobody Against Putin is available on BBC iPlayer for viewers in the UK to watch here.
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