The documentary «20 Days in Mariupol» about the events in the city during the Russian siege will represent Ukraine at the Oscars.
A shot from "20 Days in Mariupol"
The film shows the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the bombardment of the maternity hospital and the rescue of the author of the film and his colleagues from the Associated Press from Mariupol surrounded by Russian troops.
The film was created on the basis of materials shot by war correspondent, photographer, and videographer Mstyslav Chernov, which he and his colleagues sent from Mariupol to the world media, telling about the events in the city. For this, the team later received the Pulitzer Prize.
The documentary was chosen during voting by the members of the Ukrainian Oscar Committee, which is headed by Valentyn Vasyanovych.
Photo source: «20 Days in Mariupol» press team
Photo source: «20 Days in Mariupol» press team
Mykola Osychenko, a journalist and director of Mariupol Television, tells «Vchasno» journalists that, in his opinion, «20 Days in Mariupol» is the most honest film about the hell that was in the city. It is important that the film was created by people who were actually in Mariupol, from the material they shot themselves.
«As far as I know, not a single person left the cinema with dry eyes after watching it. That is why it is important for us that this film is shown to as many foreigners as possible,» Osychenko shares.
He also compares the documentary to the scandalous movie «Yuryk». The man says that after the film was distributed in Europe, Mariupol residents from European countries who were forced to become refugees called him and complained.
«Yuryk» movie, produced by the STB company, tells the story of a boy from Mariupol, who is have to to survive in the besieged city with his relatives. The Mariupol residents, who survived those horrors and left the city, were outraged: the film, which is allegedly based on real events, lies about every day in the city. As the locals noted, «The film has become a light version of their hell, full of fiction and lies.» One of the main reasons for the indignation of Mariupol residents was the scene with the OSCE buses, which were allegedly evacuating all those willing. In reality, the OSCE representatives left the city a few days before the attack.
«They have been living abroad for a year and a half, and after „Yuryk“, Europeans began to tell them: „Listen, if everything was not so bad and terrible for you there, why are you here?“ Our refugees began to be accused of allegedly exaggerating the scale of what Russia did in Mariupol in the spring of that year. We see that in this way the idea began to appear that what Russia is doing falls under the signs of genocide. And this is bad because sooner or later there will be a tribunal in The Hague. There is an article that says that the death of the civilian population was a consequence of hostilities, and there is an article that says that the death of the civilian population is a consequence of genocide,» the Mariupol resident adds.
Thus, public opinion can change the attitude towards Russia. By showing false videos about Mariupol, we can get a complete devaluation of what the people went through. Instead, the film «20 Days in Mariupol» clearly shows that there was a blockade of the city, shelling, lack of food, water, medicine, etc.
«I really hope that as many people as possible see this film. After all, we can already see the work of Russian propaganda — people think that everything was not so bad, as if Russia did not attack, but „liberated“ the city. Therefore, I believe that the showing of such documentaries is important in order for public opinion in the West to be as close as possible to the truth,» Osychenko concludes.
Author: Iryna Zapotichna