The documentary about Mariupol “20 Days in Mariupol” won an Oscar as the best documentary in history
The film 20 Days in Mariupol won the Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary. This is the first Ukrainian film to win this award from the American Film Academy. This is known from the broadcast of the 96th Oscar ceremony.
During the award ceremony, Chernov noted that his film’s Oscar was a landmark moment for Ukrainian cinema. The director emphasized that he would have preferred never to have made this film, and that he would have exchanged the award for the peace that existed in Ukraine before the Russian invasion.
“I would trade this statuette for Russia never to attack our cities, never to kill tens of thousands of our citizens… Together we must do everything to end this war,” he said.
“Thank you all. Glory to Ukraine!” the director added, and the entire audience gave Chernov a standing ovation.
In addition to 20 Days in Mariupol, four other films competed in the Best Documentary category:
- Bobi Wine: The People’s President;
- The Eternal Memory;
- Four Daughters;
- To Kill a Tiger.
“20 Days in Mariupol” is a documentary by director and war correspondent Mstyslav Chernov. In March 2022, he and his colleague, photographer Yevhen Malolietka, were the last civilian journalists to remain in Mariupol, which was completely blockaded by Russian troops.
The film became the highest-grossing film in Ukraine last year, collecting UAH 500,000 in the first weekend of release alone.
“20 Days in Mariupol has already won the Best Documentary at the British BAFTA Awards, and Chernov received the Director’s Guild Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Documentary.
