Russia has labelled Pavel Talankin a “foreign agent” who secretly filmed pro-war propaganda at a school for the Oscar-winning documentary “Mr. Nobody Against Putin”.
Talankin’s name appeared today on the Justice Ministry’s online list of foreign agents — a term with connotations of espionage that Moscow uses to describe people it believes are involved in foreign-backed anti-Russian activity.
Talankin and David Borenstein’s documentary uses footage filmed over two years by Talankin at a school where he worked in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, showing how students are exposed to pro-war messages.
It was controversial even among Russians who oppose Putin and the war, with some criticising Talankin for filming colleagues and children without their consent for his secret plan.
Talankin, who left Russia in 2024, defended his film, saying it was a record for future generations that showed how “an entire generation became angry and aggressive”, Accepting the Oscar earlier this month, the 35-year-old called for an end to wars.
People on the foreign agent list are subjected to painful bureaucratic procedures and restrictions on their income in Russia. They are required to put the ‘foreign agent’ tag on social media posts or anything else they post.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said after the Oscars that he had not seen the film and therefore could not comment on it.
