Ukrainian film “20 Days in Mariupol” (2023) by Mstyslav Chernov stands as the most acclaimed film of independent Ukraine, boasting 24 awards and honours from a variety of festivals and competitions. Among its recent achievements are Ukraine’s prestigious National Taras Shevchenko Award in the Journalism and Media category, alongside the coveted “Oscar” for Best Feature Documentary.
During his speech at the Academy Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles, Chernov expressed a poignant sentiment: he might very well be the first director on this grand stage who, instead of desiring his film’s success, would willingly trade his award to ensure Russia never attacked Ukraine, never seized Ukrainian cities, and never claimed the lives of tens of thousands of his fellow countrymen. Regrettably, as Mstyslav Chernov acknowledged, history and the past cannot be altered by one person alone. He emphasized that it is only through collective efforts that history can be set right, truths can prevail, and the people of Mariupol, as well as those lost, are forever remembered. As Chernov poignantly stated, cinema shapes our memories, and these memories, in turn, shape our history.
The documentary film by Mstyslav Chernov, a Ukrainian videographer, photojournalist, director, war correspondent, and writer, may not claim the title of the best Ukrainian film, but its significance is unparalleled. In February 2022, Chernov, alongside producer Vasilisa Stepanenko and photographer Yevhen Maloletka, arrived in Mariupol just an hour before the invasion as a team from the Associated Press agency.
Then, they filmed everything unfolding in the city: the humanitarian catastrophe sparked by the Russian siege, the mass burials of Ukrainian civilians, and countless crimes committed by Russian forces. They were the first to unveil the shocking aftermath of the local maternity hospital being bombed by Russian forces, photos of which swiftly circulated across global news outlets. The scenes from there are particularly haunting, as journalists had sought refuge in the hospital for an extended period, deeming it the safest haven. That is, until Russia bombed the maternity hospital and then, with cunning deception, cynically claimed that the videos from there were fabricated and staged by Ukrainians. Nonetheless, it was Chernov himself, revealing it all from the inside, who managed to expose the truth that Russia was desperately attempting to hide.
It’s crucial to recognise that any award bestowed upon “20 Days in Mariupol” serves as yet another reminder to the world about the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine and as well as a cue to who bears the full responsibility for it. We must ensure that this remains in our collective memory, preventing such events from happening again. In the initial scenes of “20 Days”, journalists, often viewed as intrusive with their cameras during sensitive moments, are questioned: “Why are you doing this?” The response is straightforward: “We are amidst a historic war, and it must be documented.” As the film unfolds, the creators interact less with eyewitnesses, focusing instead on capturing the incomprehensible horror. The director can only convey: “It’s painful, it’s agonizing to watch, but it must be witnessed.”
During the war, some Ukrainian cities have already become symbols, while others have not quite survived Russia’s onslaught. There are cities, there are heroes, there are heroic cities. We must remember all our heroes and not let anyone forget those who caused Ukraine to need them. The crimes of Russia must be carefully documented and displayed in all their depravity. Initially, this will be necessary in a legal institution, in an earthly court, and later, in the court of human history, the twenty days of which were meticulously recorded by Mstyslav Chernov and his co-authors in a Ukrainian seaside city of Mariupol.
