On March 8 at 18:00, in the Starume Hall of the Splendid Palace cinema, the International Documentary Film Festival Artdocfest/Riga will hold an additional screening of “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” which is participating in both of the festival’s competition programmes — Artdocfest Open and Baltic Focus.
The film had already been included in the festival’s competition line-up when it later received an Academy Award nomination. The Oscar ceremony will take place on March 15. The film’s protagonist and co-director, Pavel Talankin, had previously promised to attend the screening in Riga and take part in a post-screening discussion. However, due to his tight schedule, this will unfortunately not be possible on March 1, which is why an additional screening has been scheduled. Pavel Talankin will keep his promise to meet Latvian audiences and, on his way to Los Angeles, will stop in Riga to participate in the discussion following the additional screening.
Festival producer Vaiva Bauze: “We have decided to organise an additional screening because meetings between filmmakers and audiences are an integral part of the Artdocfest/Riga experience. It is truly gratifying that even before the festival begins, the first screening in the Grand Hall of Splendid Palace has sold out, and the balcony has now been opened as well. A full house is not an everyday occurrence for documentary cinema, so we take particular pride in the strong audience interest. I hope this event will inspire those who are only just discovering documentary film to come, experience the film, and become our regular viewers, as every film in the festival programme deserves special attention.”
The film is based on materials collected by a schoolteacher from a small Russian town about life at his school. It shows how, following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an ordinary school and its students become increasingly drawn into the machinery of Russian propaganda, and how everyday school life is transformed. In this way, teacher Pavel Talankin becomes a filmmaker. The film was co-directed with David Borenstein and produced in the Czech Republic and Denmark.
To date, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” has received 14 nominations and 12 awards, including Best Documentary prizes and Audience Awards. Among the most notable recognitions are the prestigious BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as several audience awards and other distinctions.
Tickets are here >>