Moscow condemns Oscar-winning documentary ‘Mr Nobody against Putin’ over consent claims

WEB DESK: Russia has issued its first official response to the Academy Award-winning documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin, accusing the filmmakers of using footage of children without parental permission.

According to AFP, the film, which secured the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, has drawn the ire of the Kremlin for its raw portrayal of the “patriotic” curriculum currently being taught in Russian schools.

Secret footage and claims of exploitation

The documentary is a collaborative effort between American filmmaker David Borenstein and 35-year-old Pavel Talankin, a former school videographer from a small Russian town. Talankin was originally tasked by school administrators to record state-mandated lessons supporting the “special military operation” in Ukraine.

However, he secretly collaborated with Borenstein to smuggle the footage out of the country before fleeing Russia to voice his opposition to the conflict.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Russia’s Human Rights Council a government-aligned body slammed the production, claiming that “images of minors were used without obtaining the consent of their parents.

” The Council further argued that the recordings were strictly intended as an “internal record of school activities” and alleged that the material had been misappropriated for commercial gain.

While the filmmakers have yet to issue a formal rebuttal to these specific claims, the documentary continues to face a ban within Russia as the government tightens its grip on the domestic narrative surrounding the war.