Sawt Falasteen - Basking in Oscar nod, Russian videographer ready for Hollywood

David Borenstein's "Mr Nobody Against Putin", based on footage smuggled by Talankin out of Russia, was nominated in the Documentary Feature Film category.

The film exposes the intensity of pro-war propaganda at a secondary school in a small Russian town.

Talankin, 34, told AFP it was hard to put in words how he felt, but he definitely wanted now to win the Academy Award.

"I've already dusted off the shelf for it," he joked from Prague, where he lives in exile.

"I'd like to go to Hollywood," he said. "I have a visa."

Talankin used to work as an event organiser and videographer at a secondary school in the industrial town of Karabash in the Ural mountains.

After teaming up with Borenstein on a project to document the abrupt militarisation of his school in the wake of Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbour Ukraine, Talankin filmed patriotic lessons, songs and morning drills.

He then fled Russia with the hard discs of what would become the 90-minute award-winning documentary.

Russia outlawed all criticism of the Russian military after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.

The project cost Talankin dearly, making him a hate figure in Russia for supporters of the war. He has left behind his mother, brothers and sisters.

Talankin said things were hard for him after he fled his native country.

But he added: "Of course it was all worth it."

When the film was shortlisted for the Oscars in December, Borenstein told AFP he was "shocked" and called the feeling "surreal".

He said Talankin "sacrificed so much to make this film and he deserves to make as big of an impact as possible".

The nominations set the stage for the 98th Academy Awards ceremony on March 15.

X.Habash--SF-PST