Chelyabinsk Bans Oscar Doc 'Mr Nobody Against Putin'
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- Chelyabinsk court banned the documentary 'Mr Nobody Against Putin' from three streaming platforms, citing propagation of extremism and terrorism.
- The documentary is a BBC production that won an Oscar and a BAFTA for Best Documentary in 2026, documenting war propaganda in a Russian school after the 2022 invasion.
- Pavel Talankin, a school events coordinator who later fled Russia, provided the footage used in the film, which includes the white‑blue‑white flag used by anti‑war protesters.
- Prosecutors argued the film expresses a negative attitude toward the war in Ukraine and the Russian government, and the deputy prosecutor said it featured the flag of a "terrorist organisation".
- Russian human‑rights body condemned the documentary in March for using footage of children without parental consent and said it would appeal to the Academy for an investigation.
- Dmitry Peskov said he had not watched the film, while President Putin later criticized foreign films as "stupid and unnecessary" and said Russian producers lack support.
- The ruling requires removal of the film from three online video platforms and was issued by a court in Chelyabinsk, near the town of Karabash where Talankin’s school is located.
Why it matters: The ruling blocks the film’s distribution on three major video services, curtailing public exposure to its critique of Russian war indoctrination and signaling the Kremlin’s intensified crackdown on dissent. Filmmakers and anti‑war activists lose a high‑profile platform, while state officials reinforce control over the narrative.
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