Wikipedia

David Borenstein

David Borenstein is an American documentary filmmaker.[1] He is known for Mr. Nobody Against Putin (2025), which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[2]

David Borenstein
Borenstein at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
Born
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Florida (BA)
OccupationDocumentary filmmaker
Known forMr Nobody Against Putin
AwardsAcademy Award for Best Documentary Feature (2026)
BAFTA Award for Best Documentary (2026)
Websitewww.davidborenstein.com

Education

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Borenstein graduated from the University of Florida in 2009 with degrees in Chinese and political science. He then received a Fulbright U.S. Student Scholarship to China.[3][4]

Career

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Borenstein began his career in radio broadcasting and directed his first feature film, Dream Empire, in 2016.[5][6] He spent ten years in China working on the film, shooting documentaries about the fringes of Chinese society.[7][8] For this work, he received several nominations and won the Golden Alexander for Best Documentary at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

He is the director of the documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin, released in 2025.

The Danish Film Institute described his film Can't Feel Nothing as one that "constructs a tapestry of human stories across four continents, depicting a world where our emotions are commodified and instrumentalized with ruthless efficiency."[9]

Borenstein has argued that propaganda operates not only through state media but also through institutions such as schools. Critics have noted that Mr. Nobody Against Putin depicts how authoritarian structures take hold in everyday life.[10][11]

In addition to his feature films, Borenstein directs and produces broadcast documentaries for public broadcasters including PBS, notably for the series NOVA, and for BBC World Service.[12][13] For NOVA's Decoding COVID-19, he filmed inside Wuhan during the early stages of the pandemic;[14] the production later received a duPont–Columbia Award.[15] For NOVA's Inside China's Tech Boom, he filmed inside Huawei's offices as the company responded to U.S. sanctions.[16]

Upcoming projects

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Following the success of Mr. Nobody Against Putin, Borenstein is developing a new feature documentary titled Living in Our Heads, in collaboration with producer Helle Faber and the Danish company Made in Copenhagen. He intends to continue working with American public broadcaster PBS, particularly its science series NOVA.[17]

Activism

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In his acceptance speech for the Academy Award for Mr. Nobody Against Putin, Borenstein drew parallels between Putin's Russia and Trump's America. Backstage, he told reporters that his Russian colleagues warned him the situation in America was "actually happening quicker" and that "Trump is moving a lot quicker than Putin in his early years."[18]

In April 2026, Borenstein signed an open letter opposing the 110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance merger and joined a protest outside the company's New York headquarters. In an interview with NPR, he said that for filmmakers like him, "the house is already burning down" and urged continued opposition to the deal.[19]

Awards

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For Dream Empire (2016)

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  • Golden Alexander for Best Documentary – Thessaloniki International Film Festival

For Mr Nobody Against Putin (2025)

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Personal life

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Borenstein lives and works in Copenhagen.[22]

Filmography

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Year Title Notes Ref.
2015 Rent-a-Foreigner in China Short documentary; director, producer, writer [23]
2016 Dream Empire Feature documentary; director, producer, writer [24][25]
2021 Love Factory Short documentary; director, writer [26]
2024 Can't Feel Nothing Feature documentary; director, writer [27]
2025 Mr. Nobody Against Putin Feature documentary; director, producer, writer [21]
2026 Living in Our Heads Feature documentary (in development); director

References

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  1. ↑ Goorwich, Siam (2026-02-24). "Mr Nobody Against Putin: filmmakers scoop best documentary Bafta". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
  2. ↑ "'Mr Nobody Against Putin' wins best documentary feature Oscar". Reuters. 2026-03-16. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  3. ↑ "Eight UF students awarded Fulbright scholarships for international studies". University of Florida News. October 9, 2009. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  4. ↑ "Echoes of Russia in Florida: This new Oscar winner sees them". Tampa Bay Times. 2026-03-20. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  5. ↑ "NOVA Inside China's Tech Boom | Asia Society". asiasociety.org. October 12, 2023.
  6. ↑ www.oberon.nl, Oberon Amsterdam. "Dream Empire (2016) | IDFA Archive". IDFA.
  7. ↑ Panni Nagy (2017). "The reality of Chinese irreality - A talk with David Borenstein, the director of Dream Empire". verzio.org. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  8. ↑ "Dream Empire" (in German). DOK.fest München. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  9. ↑ "Can't Feel Nothing". Danish Film Institute. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  10. ↑ Šustr, David (2025-03-12). "David Borenstein: Mr. Nobody Against Putin – a film born of risk and resistance". Radio Prague International. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  11. ↑ Schwartz, David (2025-01-26). ""Mr. Nobody Against Putin" shows how one Russian teacher confronted Kremlin propaganda". CBS News. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  12. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (2026-01-20). "'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' Director David Borenstein Prepares Next Project (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  13. ↑ "The Documentary, The Fifth Floor". BBC World Service. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  14. ↑ "NOVA: Decoding COVID-19". KPBS. 2020-05-12. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  15. ↑ "Decoding COVID-19 credits". duPont-Columbia Awards. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  16. ↑ Solomon, Michelle (2026-03-20). "Echoes of Russia in Florida: This new Oscar winner sees them". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  17. ↑ Ross, Rafa Sales (2026-03-20). "Oscar-Winning 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' Director David Borenstein Lines Up Next Project With PBS, Reunites With Danish Team for 'Living in Our Heads' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-05-07.
  18. ↑ Fleming, Ryan (March 16, 2026). "'Mr. Nobody Against Putin' Director Says "Trump Is Moving A Lot Quicker Than Putin In His Early Years" – Oscars Backstage". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  19. ↑ Barco, Mandalit del (2026-04-23). "Warner Bros. Discover approves $110B Paramount–Skydance merger; regulators up next". NPR. Retrieved 2026-05-07.
  20. ↑ Jordan Crucchiola (2025-01-26). ""Mr. Nobody Against Putin" Is a Roadmap for Bravery in the Face of Authoritarianism". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  21. 1 2 3 Razzall, Katie (2026-03-16). "From Mr Nobody to Oscar winner: How one man took on Putin". BBC News. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  22. ↑ "David Borenstein". DC/DOX Film Festival.
  23. ↑ Jacobs, Andrew (2015-04-28). "Rent-a-Foreigner in China". The New York Times. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  24. ↑ "Den Kinesiske Drøm (Dream Empire)". Danish Film Institute. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  25. ↑ "'Dream Empire' wins top prize at Thessaloniki doc festival". Screen Daily. 2017-03-19. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  26. ↑ Borenstein, David (2021-03-02). "Love Factory". The New York Times. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  27. ↑ "Can't Feel Nothing". CPH:DOX. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
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