00:00We are joined today by the filmmakers behind this documentary, which of course debuted at the
00:11Sundance Film Festival, won a big award, and is up from Denmark for the Academy Award for
00:16Desk International Feature this year. Please allow me to introduce director and writer David
00:21Bornstein and Pavel Talenkin, who is, let's just say, co-director, cinematographer, and
00:29protagonist of this film. Welcome, gentlemen. I want to start at the beginning, which is kind of
00:35the end. Pasha, we see you traveling across a border here. We get a real sense of the stakes in
00:42this film. So I wanted to get a sense from you now, several months after the film has debuted,
00:48what is your perspective on this film now?
00:50I am proud of your work and the work of David, and I like this film. And I tell myself that if
00:59I would have to stand before the choice to sit and silence or show the world what is happening
01:05in the Russian schools, I would have to do this again and again.
01:10David, this film has elicited a huge reaction. I remember seeing it at Sundance, and I remember
01:15being in the crowd and feeling it. We hear a lot about Putin's Russia. We hear a lot about the
01:20atrocities, the crimes of the war against Ukraine, the travesties and the tragedies. This is a very
01:27different story. What were some of the elements that went into putting this together, taking Pasha's
01:31footage, taking the historical approach to this?
01:34For me, the most important thing about this story is Pasha as a character and experiencing what
01:40he experienced. Pasha often says in Q and A's, this is not about the war. This is not about
01:46Russia. It's about showing the how and not the what. How are we at this point? And in particular,
01:53how does it feel to be someone, a regular person living in Russia today and to see your society fall
02:01apart around you? Pasha was a beloved teacher at his school. He was that teacher that we all kind of
02:08knew, the cool guy, that you would go to their classroom and hang out if you didn't fit in,
02:13if you didn't belong. You were in his classroom all day long. And this war is many things. But
02:20in this world, what it was, it was the thing that caused that classroom to go away. It was what
02:27destroyed his space in that school. And so I wanted the film to show many things happening. But at its
02:34core, it's about what happens when politics at a grand scale causes you to lose something in your
02:40world that's so important to you. And what do you do while you do what Pasha did, which is something
02:46very crazy. Pasha, the filming of this, it's amazing to see this footage hours and hours, I'm sure that
02:52you filmed. Was there anything that you weren't able to capture, that you wanted to capture in those
03:00moments, in those months, in those days?
03:30David, as you remarked earlier, you know, this is very much a personal film. Obviously,
03:43Pasha's work, passionate work here to depict and chronicle what's happening in Russia. Can't ignore,
03:50of course, the vast geopolitical moves that are happening in the background. How for you did you try
03:55as a filmmaker to strike the balance between what's happening large scale and what was happening in
04:01that school with these children and with Pasha? I think the balance actually was struck between the
04:06collaboration between me and Pasha. We had a very clean collaboration. Pasha came into the project
04:12with a lot of thoughts on Russia, a lot of thoughts about what belongs in schools and doesn't belong in
04:18schools. He was passionate. He had so many beliefs. For me, I wanted to center those beliefs. And what I
04:25brought to the picture was really centering him as a character and making sure that his character was in the film.
04:32There's so much happening here in this story. There is his personal story. It's a story about what happens when
04:38your world around you collapses. But at the same time, there's Pasha's political project, which is a vast one.
04:44What he has done over the last several years is deliver a complete catalogue of this Russian
04:51patriotic education that has been implemented since the beginning of this full-scale invasion.
04:58And we should point out, David, it wasn't like there wasn't a lot of propaganda already happening
05:03in Putin's Russia. There was. But what has happened since the full-scale invasion has been
05:08still a quite profound shift. It marks the beginning of a true militarized future.
05:14for Russia. And if you watch all of the propaganda that's happening in the school, it's quite
05:20clear. Putin has no intention of stopping with just Ukraine. He's telling it to the kids
05:25every single day.
05:26Pasha, we know that, of course, that you are no longer in Russia. But what has been the response,
05:31if any, that you've received from people inside who either heard about the film or had an opportunity
05:36needed to see it?
05:37Katia сказала, что нужно делать еще один фильм документальный
05:41о реакции об этом фильме, потому что это что-то невероятное. Каждую
05:47пятницу я получал сообщения как и с угрозами, так и с похвалой. И это
05:54продолжалось на протяжении нескольких месяцев. После того, как стало известно
05:58вообще об этом фильме, потом после того, как появился трейлер, потом после
06:02того, как появился постер, потом после того, как фильм попал на Sundance, потом
06:07после того, как они каким-то образом посмотрели этот фильм, все вот так
06:13вот вварилось и каждую пятницу я получал сообщения различного характера.
06:18Но я могу сказать, что как бы ты не хорошо разбирался в людях, как бы ты не
06:23I haven't looked at them, I haven't thought about their thoughts, on what side they are, for Putin or against Putin.
06:31You never think about what they are talking about and what they are talking about.
06:36Because you look at the teacher and think that she is an adequate person and supports you.
06:45But then she writes that you are a bastard.
06:48And Pasha, one thing I want to say as we continue is, this is a hell of a film, but you're a hell of a good teacher.
06:54And I hope that that part of your career and your life never disappear because the way we see you interacting with these kids, it's just amazing.
07:01And I hope you know that.
07:02Thank you. Thank you.
07:04There's been a lot of discussion, obviously, about the war in Ukraine.
07:08Some have termed this the age of the predators, looking at Putin, looking at China, looking at North Korea and others.
07:14I have to ask this to both of you. You've made this amazing film.
07:17I know Pasha has talked about maybe making a sequel of the reactions.
07:20But what is it like right now? And where does it go from here?
07:23What's going on next? It's only worse.
07:27I, unfortunately, don't see any light.
07:32Although there is hope for it.
07:34I hope, but the reality is that it's still so.
07:39Well, if there's one conversation that I really think is important that we've been having around the world as we tour with this film, it's talking about how delicate our institutions really are.
07:50And this is not just a Russia thing.
07:52This is everywhere.
07:53Clearly.
07:54This whole film started with an executive order from Vladimir Putin going into Pasha's school and telling them to do something that he really didn't believe in.
08:05Within a few years, that executive order came in and really destroyed the fabric of that school.
08:11So I think there's a question about what we do when our institutions are under assault.
08:17And how do we react?
08:18I hope that this film helps people think about that question.
08:21Well, I just want to wrap up and I really appreciate Pasha, David, both of you being with us today.
08:26It's been fantastic.
08:27The film is amazing.
08:28As we said, it's Denmark's home to go for the international feature at the 2026 Academy Awards.
08:34At this point, you've taken the film around the world, as David mentioned.
08:37How has that made both of you feel for the amount of effort, sacrifice and passion that have gone into making this?
08:43I'm very happy that more and more people can watch it.
08:49I'm very happy that this film, возможно, will be nominated for Oscar.
08:55And for me it's really important.
08:57I don't want to lie, I don't want to say something like that.
09:02I want to say something like that.
09:03No, for me it's really important.
09:05Because this film also tells you that if you don't have anyone with whom you could talk about,
09:15you don't have any kind of confidence in your friends, with whom you previously talked about,
09:23and you notice that there is something that is really pious on your work,
09:29but at the same time you have a camera, you can be heard.
09:35And it's not only, кстати, camera, it's not only, you know, you can take it or not, you can take it.
09:41It's even those people, with whom you have a pen and a pen and a pen,
09:46who can have a diary, who can have a diary.
09:48It's about people who can help and join in some groups.
09:54It would be a really cool message, in fact.
09:57That, you know, despite the fact that you have left alone,
10:01the world has not returned from you, and you are not alone.
10:06Well, I would echo everything that Pasha just said,
10:09but I would add one more feeling, which is relief.
10:12Huge relief.
10:14While we were working on this film in the edit room,
10:17we always knew that in order to make the film,
10:20Pasha would have to sacrifice his entire life in Russia.
10:23And there was this question.
10:25Would anyone even watch the film?
10:27Is he doing this for a reason?
10:30Is the film good?
10:31It's hard to know when you're in the edit room.
10:33The film is very good, David.
10:35Well, thank you.
10:37But I was waiting with bated breath to see what would happen.
10:41Would we premiere something?
10:43Would people like it?
10:44And so when the film came out and when it got a good reception
10:47and as it continues to have its life,
10:50I just let out a big-big breath of air.
10:54Pasha's sacrifice was worth it.
10:56And he's done something.
10:58And I'm so glad that I was able to be part of it.
11:00I'll tell you an interesting story.
11:02Please, I'm sorry to interrupt.
11:04After that, as it was known,
11:06that Dania took this film in the form of a dacque production,
11:11the best film on foreign language,
11:13I called my students, my выпускники,
11:15and said,
11:16Well, I wish you guys all the success.
11:34Thank you, Pasha.
11:35Thank you, David, for joining us.
11:37Thank you for all of you joining us today.
11:40There's going to be many more Deadline Hollywood screenings.
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