Inside the Kremlin: A Teacher’s Fight Against War Propaganda in Russia

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Titled “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” this documentary, premiering in the World Cinema Documentary Competition section of the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on how Vladimir Putin’s conflict in Ukraine has affected the lives of Russian children. During an interview, I had the opportunity to converse with the film’s director, David Borenstein, who collaborated with Pavel “Pasha” Talankin, the film’s subject and co-director. You can watch a preview of the documentary below.

[Video Trailer]

The idea behind the project originated when Pasha, who is a high school teacher living in a small Russian town, answered a solicitation from a web content provider seeking individuals to discuss the effect of the “special military operation” in Ukraine (as it’s referred to in Russia), on their respective professions.

Borenstein notes that Pasha reacted fiercely, delivering a politically charged speech, expressing that his role had been flipped on its head, making him feel like a mouthpiece, and lamenting the transformation of his school, which now appeared alien to him after what seemed like a quick change.

Despite the web content company choosing not to further investigate the matter, coincidentally, Borenstein, a Danish resident with extensive experience in China, received Pasha’s response. Notably, Pasha, who served as his school’s videographer, had the unique opportunity to document the school’s implementation of various government-mandated measures aimed at increasing student patriotism within its premises.

I found it incredibly challenging to communicate with Pasha during our project’s progress, given that any discovery could lead to severe repercussions for him. (First person perspective)

Borenstein explains that working on the project was like wearing a significant communication barrier, as our primary means of interaction was through an extremely secure channel. At the outset, we even consulted with a security expert to establish guidelines, taking into account potential phone infiltration risks. We weren’t sure if, even using this encrypted line, we could communicate freely, so we continued to use code words and indirect speech. In the early stages, we had many fruitful conversations getting to know each other, but discussing the project itself was always a difficult task.

In the confines of his circumstances, Borenstein did his best to steer Pasha as their project unfolded, but the character of the Russian teacher was also significant. According to Borenstein, “He’s a wild, beautiful man who is difficult to control when he takes up a camera.” This, he explains, is often due to him experiencing deep emotions and it’s his way of coping. He expresses in the film that living under this regime feels like walking on a tightrope. At times, he feels so guilty about being a propagandist that he needs to act out, and taking up the camera was one method for doing so.

Usually, Pasha takes his camera because he’s experiencing intense emotions, yet there are times when he’s simply documenting everyday life and having fun. At first, I thought I could guide him with my directing skills, but soon realized it wouldn’t work. Instead, I needed to adapt to his style of filming, which turned out to be more effective as his footage was incredibly rich. The way he films is deeply connected to his emotions and psychological pressures, making it suitable for exploration through voiceovers. Moreover, Pasha has been filming in that school for years, and people are so accustomed to him that he can casually walk down the halls and capture moments with ease. This footage provides a unique glimpse into the institution’s daily life, which is truly remarkable.

I was observing the video in the editing suite. The casual, seamless manner in which students seemed to enter the school stood out significantly. Upon revisiting this footage multiple times over the years, it became evident how subtly the school transitioned into a symbol of creeping fascism and militarization – a transformation that would be challenging to convey otherwise.

In essence, our partnership was about embracing him as he is, cherishing that, and then finding ways to combine our strengths. It was about acknowledging that this collaboration is what it is: I’m a filmmaker from Denmark, he’s a teacher and videographer at a high school in the Ural Mountains. We’re making a movie together. The structure of our collaboration was set, and then the movie became our responses to the numerous obstacles that arose from this unique setup.

During the movie, several themes surfaced, but they weren’t apparent while Pasha was filming. Most of what he discovered was during the editing process because his filming style wasn’t particularly focused. He didn’t concentrate on specific characters; instead, he filmed everyone. So, it wasn’t like he was intentionally chronicling Masha and Pavel’s story. Instead, he just captured everyone on camera. As a result, the raw footage needed to be organized in a way that made sense, which happened during the editing process.

I’m examining various elements, such as characters, propaganda themes, and emotional shifts among students and others during a specific period. I’m also studying patterns of change in the school environment and how these transformations affected the overall atmosphere. This investigation is intricate and time-consuming because it involves more than just hundreds of hours of footage – it encompasses a comprehensive review.

In the movie, significant relationships stand out, with Pasha’s bond with his mother being particularly evident. However, there are other crucial connections – for instance, Pasha’s relationship with Masha, a girl whose brother joins the war, and another young man conscripted. One might wonder how the director picked these as central relationships to focus on.

Borenstein explains that the emotional impact of certain character scenes in post-production left a strong impression on him. Masha, the girl whose brother goes off to war, is one such example. He had initially overlooked her footage but was deeply moved by her tragic ending at the cemetery. This stirred thoughts about the war and the pain Masha and Pasha must have endured. Realizing the importance of these moments, he revisited old footage and found that Masha’s conversation with Pasha took place just when her brother was drafted into the army. Essentially, he pieced together the story in reverse.

Borenstein made a conscious effort to portray Russians in a non-stereotypical manner, avoiding depictions as threatening or unfriendly. While one teacher showed strong support for Putin, the rest were empathetically represented. “In collaborating with Pasha, I took my role seriously. As the director and writer, I wanted his viewpoint to be deeply integrated into the storytelling process. This required me to be open with him, understand him better, grasp his perspective on the school, Russia, and I believe this helped me steer clear of a simplistic, black-and-white portrayal of the situation there, enabling me to comprehend things from his viewpoint.

I carefully portrayed his viewpoint, emphasizing his affection for the town, his connections with its inhabitants, and his understanding of them as individuals, since he had grown up among them. This approach enabled us to create a movie that I’m confident resonates with many Russians. I take pride in the fact that this film seems to align with their beliefs. It can be challenging for a foreigner to produce an anti-regime film that both Westerners and Russians approve of, but I feel that we’ve managed to avoid a simplified portrayal of Russian people in this production. The aim was to educate viewers here while also serving as a rallying cry for people in Russia, given the uniqueness of his perspective. He isn’t a liberal intellectual from Moscow; he’s a teacher. He’s not advocating for revolution or democracy or elections. Instead, he’s condemning the violence that’s creeping into these schools and making this standpoint central to the film, which I believe greatly contributed to its impact.

A complex issue presented during the production of the movie was handling matters related to consent and privacy, as he secretly filmed children without obtaining their approval, which turned out to be nearly unattainable. The film’s broadcasters stood by him throughout this predicament.

Borenstein explains: “Initially, our project kicked off with a thorough security evaluation and bringing BBC on board. They were instrumental from the start, providing us with crucial advice about informing participants and obtaining their consent for being in the film. We recognized that discussing this film was a significant security concern for everyone involved, so we chose not to do it during the process. However, following the project, Pasha has reached out to many individuals who had speaking roles, and they support the film and are glad it’s happening. It’s crucial to ensure that only Pacha is portrayed as opposing the regime in this film, while showing everyone else as law-abiding citizens. The entire responsibility and authority of this film rest solely on Pasha, who is now residing outside of Russia.

So far, Borenstein has not witnessed any efforts by the Russian government to halt the distribution or screening of the film, but he remains vigilant. “We’re keeping a close watch,” he states. “We’re prepared for it. It’s still early days, but I’ve noticed that my personal website views are all from Russia. I can’t help but wonder what might transpire. Time will tell, though. We stand ready for any response from Russia.

The movie’s production is overseen by Helle Faber, based at Made in Copenhagen. Global distribution is managed by DR Sales, while Cinetic Media takes care of the U.S. licensing rights.

The movie was jointly produced by PINK, the Danish Film Institute, the Czech Film Fund, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, FilmFyn, Fritt ord, Hermod Lannungs Fond, BBC Storyville, DR (Danmarks Radio), ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen), ARTE, NRK (Norsk rikskringkasting), SVT (Sveriges Television), RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse), DR Sales, VPRO (Variété Producties Organisatie), UPP (Utrechtse Productieparticipatie) and Edithouse Fyn.

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2025-01-24 12:17