On Sunday evening, David Borenstein, Pasha Talankin, and producer Helle Faber, along with several members of the ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’ team, accepted yet another international award. The film was honored as Best Documentary at the BAFTA ceremony, the British equivalent of the Oscars.
This is only the second time a Danish documentary has won a BAFTA. Joshua Oppenheimer won in 2014 for ‘The Act of Killing’.
In addition, the Norwegian-Danish ‘Sentimental Value’ won a BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
In ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’, we follow Pasha, an ordinary teacher in a small Russian town. He is known as the school’s funny, creative, and unconventional adult—one whom the students love. But daily life at the school changes drastically when Putin introduces propaganda and war education into the curriculum in the wake of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Instead of teaching students to think independently, Pasha is now forced to film and document children reciting meaningless texts and teachers reading incomprehensible slogans to their classes. In protest—and in complete secrecy—Pasha begins smuggling the videos out of Russia. At the same time, he starts filming how propaganda and the war affect the society he lives in. Pasha’s footage reveals the transformation of Russian society, Putin’s iron grip on the population, and the heartbreaking moments when former students are sent to the front.
Through Pasha’s personal story, audiences gain a rare, intimate, and contemporary insight into Putin’s Russia. The film is a reminder that courage can take many forms when everything seems lost.
‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’ is directed by David Borenstein and co-directed by Pasha Talankin. Helle Faber produced the film for Made in Copenhagen with support from the Danish Film Institute. The film is co-produced by Pink, represented by Alzbeta Karaskova and Radovan Sibrt.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award, and it had its Danish premiere at CPH:DOX in March. Since its world premiere, the film has screened at numerous international film festivals and won countless awards. International sales are handled by DR Sales.
Sentimental Value
Joachim Trier’s Norwegian–Danish ‘Sentimental Value’ has been nominated in seven categories: Best picture, Best Directing, Best supporting actress (x2), Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor. Best Film Editing, Best International feature film.
The film features Danish talent in key creative roles: cinematography by Kasper Tuxen, editing by Olivier Bugge Coutté, VFX supervision by Esben Syberg, and co-production by Sisse Graum for Zentropa.
The film is supported by the Danish Film Institute.