On January 9, Scandinavia House presents a special double screening featuring two eligible films for the 98th Academy Awards: the poignant first-hand documentary Mr. Nobody Against Putin, Denmark’s official entry for Best International Feature Film, and the Oscar-eligible animated short Extremist (Latvia), followed by director talks by Pasha Talankin and David Borenstein.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Dir. Pavel Talankin & David Borenstein | Denmark & Czech Republic, 2025 | 90 min
In Russian with English subtitles

“A must-watch, indelible document of ideological warfare”—Pasha Talankin is an unlikely hero: a beloved Russian primary school teacher, known as a mentor and prankster who offers students a safe haven in his office. After Russia invades Ukraine, Pasha’s role in the school changes dramatically as he is reluctantly drawn into Putin’s propaganda machine. Forced to promote state-sanctioned messages and horrified by the militarization of his school and community, he wrestles with guilt and a sense of powerlessness, leading him to become an international whistleblower.

As the school’s videographer, Pasha documents intimate and revealing footage of Putin’s regime, capturing the rise of militarized children’s groups, repressive laws, fervent nationalism, and the recruitment of graduating students to fight in the war. When he learns his own life may be at risk, Pasha is forced to plan a dangerous escape from Russia.

The winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award at Sundance, this uniquely collaborative film is as captivating and joyful as it is eye-opening and sobering. Mr. Nobody Against Putin showcases rare footage that reveals the profound impact of Putin’s regime on the lives of everyday Russians, particularly its children.

Экстремистка / Extremist
Dir. Aleksandr Molochnikov | Latvia, 2025 | 17 min
In Estonian with English subtitles

Inspired by the real-life case of Aleksandra Skochilenko, Extremist follows a young Russian artist who makes an anti-war statement by swapping food labels with pacifist messages in a Moscow supermarket, leading to her arrest and the threat of a 10-year prison sentence. The film reimagines the so-called crime that made Skochilenko famous, an avatar for both the cruelty of Putin’s system, and the bravery of the few who would risk their fates and freedom to oppose it.

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