cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/40904808
Russian students are being presented with an ultra-nationalist curriculum, full of militarism and hatred toward Ukraine. The young teacher Pavel Talankin filmed the indoctrination of Russian children and smuggled the footage abroad for a documentary.
With his camera, this teacher documents life at a school in the Russian provinces. He shows how, after the invasion of Ukraine, propaganda and nationalism gradually seep into education. He has now fled the country.
While recording how the school carries out the government’s directives, he realizes he now has unique footage. Through contacts he gets in touch with an American director. Together they decide to make a documentary: “Mr. Nobody Against Putin.”
Since the invasion of Ukraine, new textbooks have been written in Russia in which the war against Ukraine is justified and excused. President Putin is rewriting history and shaping a new generation of loyal Putin supporters.
Meanwhile, the performance of ordinary students is declining, as becomes clear during staff meetings.
Talankin films everything, including the visit from the controversial Wagner Group and the forced military drills, such as shooting practice and grenade throwing.
To make this film, he had to flee, because criticizing President Putin’s new education policy is simply not possible in Russia.
Coming to theaters on 2026-01-15
It becomes harder for me not to feel bitter despise towards russian teachers, or all public school teachers in general, as a group of people.
Since the dawn of the last century, they became uniquely positioned at the start of the grooming conveyor, thus the pressure on them, and responsibility for our future, are nearly unmatched.
At least, not really matched by their level of preparedness, their funding, respect, etc. Idk about other country’s situation, but there it is a dead end job where a person is overworked, isn’t stimulated to pursue self-development (why are they even here lol) and is bullied into toying the line really close. There is a natural negative selection that filters out everyone but willing masochists.
And, like, there are many reasons for sympathy with them, and some of them I already mentioned, but I personally struggle not to punch down because a big portion of people sticking there, not filtered out, are constantly groomed to the lesser level of self-respect and become regime’s avid footsolders. The system openly pisses in their months while saying how important they are, and while living in such condiditions they form an utterly complacent mindset of reusable condoms. Out of many groups that enthusiastically voted for the tzar, fucking schoolteachers were vocal of their unilateral support for the cause of mutilating neighbors and building the Reich. And as a group of people they fell in my eyes lower than even cops, even troops, because their treachery to their own is worse for it traumatize generations that are yet to act, and however this regime dies, there would be a mass of young voters who are completely brainwashed by these people.
I feel very conflicted and uncomfortable since I do like teachers I had in years prior, and I know how bad they have it all, but my experience now is sooo negative I need to remind myself about my evergrowing bias not to put it into my judgements.
It’s like they never read history. What do you think Hitler did nationally after starting a war with everybody? Common place for over oppressing governments to indoctrinate their citizens if it benefits them
It says in the description:
Our Website: http://www.madmanfilms.com.au/
But I can’t find the movie there?
Coming to theaters on 2026-01-15
Its coming out in two weeks ! Maybe I should’ve posted this in two weeks when the movie was out lmao sorry for the confusion
That’s OK, it looks very interesting. 👍
I wonder how/if that changes things if their blood is Ukrainian.
Self-hatred. Being bullied.
I can see that turning at least some of those people into the worst anti-Ukrainians. They may even believe it.
