Nov 19, 2025
Earlier this year, I heard about a new documentary that immediately caught my attention — a Russian whistleblower exposing sweeping changes in schools following the invasion of Ukraine. Born and raised in Russia by a schoolteacher mother and a policeman father, I knew I had to see it, whether I was ready or not. I missed its Sundance premiere, where Mr. Nobody Against Putin won a Special Jury Award, and waited instead for its New York City debut at DOC NYC Film Festival last week.
The film takes place in Karabash, a small Russian town, just days after the invasion. Its central figure, Pavel “Pasha” Talankin, is a primary school teacher and school videographer tasked with documenting government-mandated changes to education. The footage was meant to remain internal. Instead, Pasha fled the country with multiple hard drives of material.
Directed by David Borenstein and co-directed by Pasha Talankin, the documentary exposes the power of propaganda and its harrowing impact on ordinary lives, especially children. Unsettling, heart-wrenching, and terrifying, it is also profoundly hopeful, asking the question: can one person’s actions against an oppressive system make a difference?
I met David and Pasha in New York the day after the premiere. Over coffee, we talked about their chance meeting, the risks they took to bring Mr. Nobody Against Putin to the world, and the consequences that followed.
Read full interview here
Ido Fluk by Alexander Karnyukhin
I fell in love with Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert long before I knew what it was. That melancholic, tender, and entirely improvised piano performance from his legendary 1975 concert in Cologne often surfaced on my playlists. When I finally learned its story — and later heard that a film about that legendary night was on the way — I immediately added it to my watchlist. Nearly a year after its Berlin Film Festival premiere, Köln 75, a new film by Brooklyn-based writer-director Ido Fluk, has finally arrived in New York City and is now playing at the IFC Center.
Köln 75 is not another biopic. Rather than focusing on Keith Jarrett, the obvious protagonist of the legendary performance, Fluk shines a spotlight on Vera Brandes, the 18-year-old promoter who made the concert happen. “No Vera Brandes, no Köln Concert,” Fluk states — and he makes it clear in Köln 75. If you haven’t heard her name before, you won’t forget it after watching the film. The inspiring story of Brandes — her relentless perseverance and ability to make the concert happen despite all obstacles — not only pays homage to her but also celebrates the work and effort of those often overshadowed by an artist’s fame.
The day after the North American premiere of Köln 75, Ido and I took a walk along McCarren Park in Brooklyn to talk about his creative approach to storytelling, directing style, and the decision to cast the enigmatic Mala Emde as Vera Brandes and the quietly intense John Magaro as Keith Jarrett.
Read full interview with Ido Fluk on Medium.com
Drunken Noodles Is the Hottest Queer Film at the New York Film Festival
In his third feature, writer/director Lucio Castro focuses on the exploration of queer sex, cruising culture, and the never-ending desire for more.
An interview with Lucio Castro
Photographed by Alexander Karnyukhin
19 Portraits During COVID-19
Essays
First Headshot
By Sasha Korbut.
Capturing a moment has become more important than experiencing it
One-night Kiss.
Based on a true smooch.
Barcelona — Zaragoza — San Sebastian — Cudillero — A Coruña — Madrid — Valencia.
Collected impressions from three days at America’s renowned film festival
Interviews
THE SOUND OF MOVIES. Carol sound designer Leslie Shatz
by Sasha Korbut for Filmmaker Magazine
“I had to tell this story no matter what”
ACT UP activist Vincent Gagliosto's directorial debut bridges the generational divide.
By Sasha Korbut for OUT magazine
From Russia with Loveless
Oscar nominated drama Loveless represents contemporary Russia. Or does it?