Pavel Talankin, a former teacher at Karabash School No 1 in Russia, has won a Bafta for his undercover documentary 'Mr Nobody Against Putin', which exposes the Kremlin's propaganda machine in primary schools. The film is now nominated for an Oscar, but has been ignored by Russian state media and school officials.
Talankin spent two-and-a-half years filming the rollout of a government-mandated patriotic education programme, which replaced PE with grenade-throwing contests and assigned homework on 'denazification'. He secretly sent footage to US director David Borenstein, risking his safety.
The documentary shows children initially bored but gradually absorbing propaganda, including visits from Wagner mercenaries teaching mine detection. Talankin notes that grades dropped sharply due to the time spent on patriotism classes, but the head teacher said she would be sacked if she stopped teaching the material.
Speaking in London after the Bafta win, Talankin said: 'The propaganda is very effective. The state spends a lot of money on it; they wouldn't bother if it didn't work.' He hopes the Oscar nomination will make more Russians aware of the film, which has been watched via bootlegged copies in his hometown.
Talankin now lives in exile, but believes the film will help children understand they were victims of indoctrination. 'Putin's government is doing everything it can to create a generation loyal to his politics,' he said.
