Kyiv, Russia – A court in Russia has banned the Oscar-winning documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin from several streaming platforms, claiming it promotes negative views about the government and the war in Ukraine.
The ruling was delivered in the Chelyabinsk region, where the film was partly shot. Authorities argued that the documentary encourages “negative attitudes” toward the state and even accused it of promoting extremism. The decision followed complaints from a Kremlin-linked human rights council, which also raised concerns about the use of minors’ images without parental consent.
The documentary captures pro-war messaging in Russian schools, using footage secretly recorded over two years by a videographer who later smuggled the material out of the country. The court also objected to the appearance of the white-blue-white flag in the film, a symbol associated with opposition to the war but banned in Russia as extremist.
Okay News reports that this is the first known court-ordered restriction targeting the film, despite unofficial copies already circulating online. The move reflects broader efforts by the Kremlin to control narratives around the conflict in Ukraine and limit dissenting voices.
Since the start of the war, Russian authorities have tightened control over public discourse, including in schools, where curriculums have been adjusted to align with official positions. The film’s central figure, Pavel Talankin, reportedly fled Russia in 2024.
