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Russia Labels 'Mr Nobody' Teacher a Foreign Agent After Court Bans Oscar-Winning Documentary

The ruling shows how wartime speech laws are used to police culture.

Overview

  • The Central District Court in Chelyabinsk, which ruled Thursday, ordered the film pulled from VK Video, Yandex.kz and Motion Video and barred its distribution nationwide, a move that does not affect access abroad.
  • Prosecutors said the documentary promotes extremism and terrorism, shows a banned white-blue-white flag used by anti-war groups, and includes footage of children without parental consent.
  • Russia’s Justice Ministry added co-director Pavel Talankin to its foreign agents list Friday, saying he spread false information about leaders and opposed the war in Ukraine.
  • The film draws on two years of covert school footage from Karabash to show new patriotic lessons and military-style drills rolled out after the 2022 invasion.
  • Independent outlets detailed the ban and removal orders, state media downplayed the Oscar, and a British tabloid alone reported that Putin pressed for new curbs on Western films.