“I wish I had never made this film”: says the first Oscar winning director from Ukraine

Despite the heartache and tragedy of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there are many small victories in the political, social, and cultural life of the country. One of them was the release of the documentary film « 20 days in Mariupol », which has gained wide recognition in the world of cinematography. So why were audiences so impressed and even moved by the film?

Who is the team behind the film?

“20 days in Mariupol” is a documentary, recorded and directed by the Ukrainian producer, photographer, videographer, photojournalist and writer, Mstyslav Chernov with the help of his team – photojournalist Evgeniy Maloletka and producer Vasilisa Stepanenko. It was filmed in the besieged city of Mariupol in February-March 2022 during the first weeks of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Chernov compiled footage that he collected in Mariupol together with the team from PBS’s Frontline and the Associated Press (AP). The premiere of the documentary took place on January 21 2023, at “Sundance”, the largest independent film festival in the United States. Unlike other films, “20 days in Mariupol” did not cost much money, however, its price was much higher – countless number of human lives.

Mariupal in the early days of the invasion

The documentary shows the first twenty days of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Mariupol, a port city in southeastern Ukraine that was cut off from the rest of the territory and instantly besieged. Although Chernov realised, that he and his team were in danger, he made a decision to stay in the city and document everything that was happening in it for as long as he could. Day after day, the changes in Mariupol were becoming more and more evident. The journalists documented, firstly, the tense silence in the city in anticipation of something terrible and the general panic as soon as the first explosion was heard. Then – the lack of vital materials – food, water, medicine, loss of network. After that came Russia’s constant shelling of civilian infrastructure – residential buildings, universities, hospitals. Especially memorable was the footage of the complete destruction of Mariupol maternity hospital №3.

The documentary also shows the people affected by these shellings – the wounded and the dead, the attempts of doctors to save them in extremely difficult conditions; the burial of those who suffered injuries and the mass graves. Materials were periodically sent to the editorial office from the only place in Mariupol where there was still online connection – under the stairs of a crushed grocery store.

By the fifteenth day of the invasion, Russian troops broke through to the city. To save the documented material, Chernov and his team, the last journalists in the city at that point, had to leave Mariupol as soon as possible, so on the twentieth day they were evacuated through the “Green corridor”.  Despite everything, they took with them the most important thing – visual evidence of Russia’s war crimes.

Awards and Reviews

The documentary became the winner of numerous awards from all over the world following its release. The most famous of them include the Audience Award in World Cinema Documentary category, won at the 2023 Sundance film festival, the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Award in the Best Documentary category and the 2024 Oscar Award for the Best Documentary.

The film had been described as “horrible, searing, a pristine example of objectivity; shockingly graphic” by the Times; “outstanding result of the hugely challenging of editing of the footage down to about an hour and a half” by NPR and “Grueling but vital” by the Wall Street Journal.

Winning at the Oscars Award ceremony

Concerning the There is no doubt, that « 20 Days in Mariupol » deserves an Oscar for the best documentary in 2024 for its realism in conveying the truly terrible events in extremely difficult conditions,

In his acceptance speech Chernov expressed his gratitude for gracing his film with such a prestigious award, and at the same time to emphasise the importance of the film:

“I’m grateful, it’s an honor for me, but I’ll probably be the first director on this stage to say: « I wish I had never made this film. I would like to be able to exchange this Oscar for Russia never attacking Ukraine.

But I can’t change history, I can’t change the past, but we all together can make sure that history record is set straight, that the truth prevails. And so that the people of Mariupol who died and those who gave their lives will never be forgotten. Because cinema forms memories, and memories form history,”

The film’s legacy

Chernov is completely right in his words. “20 days in Mariupol”, like no other documentary film, shows the tragic, yet real history of the city. It was the footage of Chernov and his team that was shown in the news all over the world, it was with their help that people saw how heroically Mariupol held on, how its residents were doing everything possible and impossible to protect themselves and their citizens. How heroically the doctors, police officers, Armed Forces were standing and doing their jobs. It is also a record of how much pain, blood and destruction Ukraine has endured from the first seconds of a full-scale invasion. It was « 20 days in Mariupol » that opened the whole world’s eyes to the real story behind the invasion.

“Mariupols” all over Ukraine

Mariupol is not the only city affected by Russia’s invasion. Russia continues to shell cities throughout Ukraine, including civilian and critical infrastructure. Such actions cause an energy crisis in Ukraine and, worst of all, civilian casualties. Settlements in the occupied territories, such as Bakhmut, Soledar, and recently Avdiivka have followed in the same tragic footseps of Mariupols – they have been totally destroyed.

Ukraine, despite all efforts, cannot fight of such a large number of attacks, since the country does not have enough air defense systems. That is why strong military support is so vital to Ukraine and its citizens. As Mstyslav Chernov said, we can all work together to make the truth prevail. If the entire civilized world unites, a new chapter in history will begin, where no city will suffer the same fate as Mariupol.

Sofiia Makarukha / S5ENB / EEB1 Uccle