Russian court bans Oscar-winning documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin

A court in Chelyabinsk has banned the distribution of the Oscar-winning documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin in Russia, according to the independent outlet Mediazona, citing its reporter in the courtroom. Only the plaintiff’s side was represented at the hearing, while Russia’s state news agency TASS later reported on the ruling.

The Czech-Danish co-production, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, examines the spread of wartime propaganda in Russian schools during Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Prosecutors argued the film depicts “general militarisation” and expresses a “negative attitude” toward the “special military operation”, the term Moscow uses for its invasion of Ukraine. They also said the film is directed against the current Russian regime. Much of the footage was filmed by director and documentary participant Pavel Talankin, a former teacher in the town of Karabash in the Chelyabinsk region.