The documentary film Mr. Nobody Against Putin – an East Doc alumni project whose creators also took part in a panel discussion at East Doc Platform 2025 – has won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 98th Academy Awards.
Directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin and produced by Helle Faber (Made in Copenhagen, Denmark) together with Radovan Síbrt, Alžběta Karásková, and Petra Dobešová (PINK, Czech Republic), the film has achieved a historic milestone. It is the first Czech documentary to receive an Oscar and the first Czech film to win an Academy Award since Jan Svěrák’s Kolya took home the prize for Best Foreign Language Film in 1997.
The documentary centers on Pavel Talankin, a teacher from the Russian town of Karabash who secretly records how the invasion of Ukraine reshapes everyday life at his local primary school. As the education system becomes increasingly aligned with state propaganda and teachers are expected to promote pro-government narratives, Talankin begins documenting the changes around him – a decision that eventually leads to persecution and forces him to leave his country.
During the acceptance speech, Talankin addressed the audience through a translator with a message calling for peace: “In the name of our future, in the name of all of our children, stop all of these wars now.”
For the Institute of Documentary Film, the film’s success carries special significance. Mr. Nobody Against Putin was part of the East Doc program in 2025, and the filmmakers joined a panel discussion during East Doc Platform 2025. We are proud to see members of our community reach such an extraordinary milestone and warmly congratulate the entire team on this remarkable achievement.
