The Ukrainian documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” won an award for best documentary on Feb. 18 at the British Academy Film Awards.
The documentary was shot during the Russian siege of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast in the first weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. Estimated thousands of Ukrainians died during the siege, which lasted for months until May 2022.
The film was directed by Ukrainian journalist Mstyslav Chernov, who reached Mariupol with two Associated Press colleagues the day the full-scale invasion was launched, and remained in the city for 20 days under heavy bombardment.
Since the film’s release in January 2023, it has won critical acclaim and prizes at festivals including Sundance Film Festival, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, and Hot Docs Canadian Documentary Festival.
It is nominated for an Oscar award in the Best Documentary Feature Film category. The winners will be announced at the 96th Academy Awards on March 11.
Kate Tsurkan
