20 days in Mariupol
rez. Mstyslav Chernov / Ukraine 2023 / 94 min.
An uncompromising document that will never be forgotten: a shocking account documenting the destruction of the titular city, written by the only journalist who stayed there until the end.
A shocking film indictment of Russia: a record of the destruction of Mariupol at the risk of his life, made by the only correspondent who remained in the besieged city until the end. The film that won the Pulitzer Prize.
An uncompromising document that will never be forgotten: a shocking account documenting the destruction of the titular city, written by the only journalist who stayed there until the end. Chernov’s film, which risked his life to record Russian war crimes and the everyday life of the inhabitants of Mariupol, is not a journalistic record of events, but a piercing, passionate documentary indictment. And at the same time, it is a full-fledged film work, made with impressive formal discipline. Few films are watched with such suspense – from the first minutes to the finale, it reveals how the explosive material was removed from the occupied zone. Few creators show the merciless cruelty of war with such power. But Chernow and the team don’t do it to shock. Their intention is to leave a testimony – and shock the conscience of the world. Film for adults only.
