‘Stop all these wars now’ says Oscar winner

In March 2026, Pavel Talankin won the Oscar for Best Documentary for his film "Mr. Nobody Against Putin." During his acceptance speech, Talankin made a public plea to "stop all these wars now." The event took place at the annual Academy Awards ceremony. The news was reported by Al Jazeera. The specific motivation behind Talankin's statement was not detailed in the article, but it coincided with a time of multiple ongoing conflicts globally. The article highlights the use of a prominent platform to advocate for peace.

"Mr. Nobody Against Putin," a documentary chronicling the indoctrination of schoolchildren to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine, won the Oscar for Best Documentary. The film was directed by Pavel Talankin, a teacher now in exile, and US co-director David Borenstein. Borenstein's acceptance speech highlighted the film's theme of losing a country through small acts of complicity, emphasizing the importance of speaking out against government oppression. Talankin pleaded for an end to wars, citing the suffering of children in conflict zones. This marks the third time in recent years that a film critical of the Russian government has received the award, following "Navalny" and "20 Days in Mariupol."