Russian teacher secretly filmed a documentary about school propaganda for two years

Pavel Talankin. Video screenshot.

Pavel Talankin, a former teacher-organizer at School No. 1 in the Ural city of Karabash, presented the documentary film "Mr. Nobody Against Putin" at the Sundance Independent Film Festival. The film received a special award there.

In the film, Talankin showed the life of his school after the start of Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine. The 33-year-old teacher filmed material for two years. According to him, about 90% of what was filmed was video for reports to the Ministry of Education.

The World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award goes to “Mr. Nobody Against Putin”. pic.twitter.com/REiGaUzNnq

— Sundance Film Festival (@sundancefest) January 31, 2025

In his school, Pavel led a videography club and organized school events. After the war began, he had to film not only open lessons, graduations, and competitions, but also "Conversations about important things," ceremonies for raising the Russian flag, meetings with war participants, and other "patriotic" events.

As the man recounts, he saw a post on Instagram by the producers of an unnamed Russian show. They were looking for individuals whose work was affected in some way by the so-called "SMO" (Special Military Operation). Pavel submitted an application, and later he was contacted by American director David Borenstein. Subsequently, Borenstein provided him with tips regarding filming and helped build the overall storyline.

Talankin himself notes in an interview with "Mediazona" that "our filming was directed by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. (...) One can only envy the script plan they sent. It's a completely written-out lesson, a completely written-out presentation. At what minute which teacher should say what, how children should look, how children should react. It's literally a complete editing plan."

In June 2024, Pavel left Russia, taking seven hard drives with materials with him. Together with Borenstein, they edited the film, which they then presented at the festival.

The former teacher claims that neither his relatives nor the characters shown in the film suspected that a documentary was being filmed.

Павялічыць

Film still

As Talankin recounts, the news of the film's premiere had "the effect of a bombshell" in Karabash. He received calls asking why he used children in the shots without permission. To this, the former teacher replied that the same shots were also sent to the ministry without permission. According to him, before the start of the school year, parents give consent for the processing of their children's personal data, which covers absolutely everything — exhibitions, photographs, publications.

According to Borenstein, the film was released in accordance with the rules of the BBC Storyville documentary center. The publication justified the ethics of filming children by the public significance of the film. The film team also believes that obtaining consent for filming such a movie would pose a threat of persecution by the state for the participants.

On the eve of the premiere, Pavel Talankin began to be slandered on social networks, called a "traitor teacher who betrayed his students." And the city's security forces held a closed meeting on January 24, dedicated to the film.

Павялічыць

«For myself, I am not a traitor to the Motherland. I love my country, I love people, I love my city. I hope to return there sooner or later. The film is about love, you understand, about love,» — Talankin himself asserts.

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