The Oscar-winning documentary “Mr Nobody Against Putin” has been banned in Russia over its critique of President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine.

The film, directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin, exposes the indoctrination of schoolchildren with pro-war propaganda and was deemed to defame the Russian government.

According to Russian media, prosecutors claimed the documentary showed a “negative attitude” towards Russia’s government and its actions in Ukraine, which led to its ban in the country.

The deputy prosecutor also said the film featured the flag of a “terrorist organisation”, referring to the white-blue-white flag which anti-war protesters have used.

According to the BBC, the ban was issued by a court in the city of Chelyabinsk, not far from the town of Karabash, where Talankin’s school is located. It will require removing the film from three online video platforms.

The report, however, says that in March, Russia’s human rights council criticised the documentary for using images of minors without parental consent and urged the Academy to investigate, leading to the film’s ban in Russia .

BBC also reports that Mr Nobody Against Putin exposes how Russian schools indoctrinate kids with pro-war propaganda, including lectures on “denazifying” Ukraine and military training, with the documentary sharing stories of Talankin’s students who died in Ukraine and his own resistance efforts.

In his Oscar acceptance speech, Talankin said: “For four years we have looked at the sky for shooting stars to make a very important wish… But there are countries where, instead of shooting stars, bombs fall from the sky and drones fly.”

“For the sake of our future, and for the sake of all our children, let’s end all wars,” he concluded.

BBC further reports that Russia’s crackdown on dissent has intensified since invading Ukraine, with harsh prison sentences for anyone speaking out against the war.

The documentary, which is a Danish-Czech production, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature and the Bafta award for Best Documentary earlier in 2026.

During a meeting with representatives of the culture council on Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin slammed Russian cinemas for screening “stupid and unnecessary” foreign films, saying local producers aren’t getting enough support.

“I did not watch this film,” Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov also told reporters. (BBC)

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