Oscar surprise: Underdog 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' wins Best Documentary

Mr. Nobody Against Putin, the documentary about a gentle Russian teacher who stood up to the Kremlin, pulled off a stunning victory at the Academy Awards tonight, clinching Best Documentary Feature over top choices The Perfect Neighbor and Come See Me in the Good Light.

The film directed by David Borenstein and co-directed by Pavel “Pasha” Talankin (the titular ‘Mr. Nobody’) went through much of the awards season without US distribution before being acquired by Kino Lorber in early January.

Talankin was a cherished event organizer and school videographer at his primary school in the isolated Russian town of Karabash. 

After the Russian government required schools to implement nationalistic and anti-Ukraine lesson plans following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Talankin refused to comply. He was eventually forced into exile.

While receiving the Academy Award, Borenstein described the film, subtly hinting at similarities to the US.

“Mr. Nobody Against Putin is about losing your homeland. During our work with this footage, we saw that this loss happens through numerous small acts of compliance,” Borenstein explained. 

“When we remain silent, when the government kills citizens in our big cities, when oligarchs control the media and dictate what we consume, we face a moral decision. But thankfully, even a ‘nobody’ has more power than expected.”

His words were met with applause from the audience at the Dolby Theatre. Talankin also spoke, with his speech translated from Russian, passionately calling for peace amid conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and elsewhere.

“We glance at the sky wishing on shooting stars. But in some places, instead of stars, there are falling bombs and drones,” he expressed. “In the name of our future, and all of our children, let’s end these wars now.”

Mr. Nobody Against Putin debuted at the Sundance Film Festival the previous year, along with all the nominees in this category, including The Perfect Neighbor, Come See Me in the Good Light, Cutting Through Rocks, and The Alabama Solution.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin picked up steam late in the awards season, winning Best Documentary at the BAFTAs in London towards the end of February. 

It also received a nomination for a Producers Guild of America Award (My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay won the PGA prize).

The film earned a Special Jury Award at Sundance but was defeated by Cutting Through Rocks for the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary.

The documentary was produced by Borenstein, along with Helle Faber and Alžběta Karásková, who also received Academy Awards.