Overview
- The Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights said it asked the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and UNESCO to investigate the film.
- The documentary, co-directed by school videographer Pavel Talankin and American filmmaker David Borenstein, portrays patriotic lessons and ceremonies in a Russian school after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
- The council claims footage intended as an internal school record was repurposed for commercial distribution.
- The Kremlin said it has not seen the film and could not comment, while state-controlled media largely downplayed the Oscar win.
- Talankin smuggled the footage out of Russia and fled in 2024; the film won the Academy Award for best documentary on Sunday.