Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the shortlists in 12 categories for the 2026 Academy Awards. The Danish documentary 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin', directed by David Borenstein, has been selected for the shortlist in the Best Documentary Feature category.
The final nominations for the 2026 Academy Awards will be announced on January 22. The Oscar ceremony will take place on March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles.
About 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 fun, creative, and unconventional adult—one whom the students love. But everyday 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 out 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. The film is produced by Helle Faber for Made in Copenhagen with support from the Danish Film Institute.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award, and it had its Danish premiere at CPH:DOX in March 2025. Since its world premiere, the film has screened at numerous international film festivals and won multiple awards.
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