Russian court bans Oscar-winning documentary ‘Mr Nobody Against Putin’

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A Russian court banned the Oscar-winning documentary “Mr Nobody Against Putin” from several streaming platforms on Thursday, alleging it promoted “negative attitudes” about the Russian government and the war in Ukraine.

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The film documents pro-war propaganda lessons delivered at a school in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, using two years of footage secretly filmed and smuggled out of the country by the school’s videographer.

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Russia’s Kremlin-appointed human rights council complained about the film last week, saying that “images of minors were used without obtaining the consent of their parents”.

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In a ruling on Thursday, a court in the Chelyabinsk region declared that the film promoted “terrorism” and “negative attitudes toward the current government”, Russia’s independent Sotavision news outlet reported.

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The court also objected to the film displaying a “white-blue-white” flag, a symbol that some members of Russia’s opposition use to protest the war in Ukraine but that is banned in Russia as “extremist”.

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The court banned the movie — which won Best Documentary at the Oscars earlier this month — from three Russian streaming platforms, Sotavision reported, publishing an audio recording of the judge speaking in court.

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It is the first known move to use the courts to restrict access to the film — bootleg copies of which are widely available online — inside Russia.

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Since launching its full-scale military assault on Ukraine four years ago, the Kremlin has suppressed opposition to the war.

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Authorities have sought to rally support for the Ukraine war in the education system, amending school curriculums to promote the Kremlin’s narrative about the offensive.

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The film’s protagonist, Pavel Talankin, fled Russia in 2024.

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AFP

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