New York (AFP) – “20 days in Mariupol” Mstislav Chernov's harrowing film about the besieged Ukrainian city and the international journalists who remained there after the Russian invasion has been nominated for best documentary. At the Oscars ceremony, Handing The Associated Press the first Oscar nomination in the history of the 178-year-old news organization.
The movie, Co-production “Frontline” was filmed between the AP and PBS during the first three weeks of the war in Ukraine, in early 2022. Chernov, Ukrainian journalist and director. I arrived in Mariupol one hour before Russia started the bombing Coastal city. With him were photographer Yevgeny Maloletka and field producer Vasilisa Stepanenko.
the The photos and stories they captured – The death of a 4-year-old girl, freshly dug mass graves, and the bombing of a maternity hospital – have been relentlessly documented. Grim, relentless realities From the unfolding siege.
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“It's a bittersweet feeling because we know that this film represents a great tragedy for humanity, and for Ukrainians it is a huge loss of life,” Chernov said in an interview. “All we can do is try to make sure this tragedy is not forgotten. Every nomination, every award, every recognition for this film means we are able to tell this story to more people, to make sure it is not forgotten.”
Chernov spoke on Tuesday after arriving in Paris to screen the film “20 Days in Mariupol.” On the same day he was able to celebrate the film's Oscar nomination, he learned that his hometown of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine Russian forces had bombed earlier in the day. The United Nations said that the missile attacks killed six people and injured 57 others, including eight children. The bombings also damaged about 30 residential buildings.
This news greatly affected Chernov.
“My city was bombed,” he said. “I keep seeing images of what's in the movie and what's happening now in Ukraine — not just in Kharkiv but also Kiev and other cities — and they're the same images. The same things happening over and over again.”
“Every day, a city somewhere in Ukraine suffers a fate very similar to what happened to Mariupol,” Chernov added. “Over the two years this film has been around, it has become a symbol of more than just Mariupol. It has become a symbol of every Ukrainian city destroyed and obliterated by Russian bombs.
The United Nations said that more than 10,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 20,000 others injured since the start of the large-scale Russian invasion.
Chernov, Maloletka, Stepanenko and Laurie Hinnant worked last year He won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service It was featured prominently in the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking news photography. since Sundance Film Festival Premiere From 20 Days in Mariupol a year ago, Chernov's film is now available to watch for free in North America on Youtube,TV program And other streaming services – has been hailed as one of The most important feature films Of the year. It was also nominated by the BAFTAs, the Producers Guild and the Directors Guild for Best Documentary Feature The academy is also on the shortlist For best international film.
“20 Days in Mariupol” director and Associated Press journalist Mstislav Chernov has joined the AP Sundance studio for 2023. Watch the full interview, in which he talks about the origins of the Ukraine war documentary, audience reaction and his plans to continue covering the war.
while, War in Ukraine He's approaching the two-year mark. Fighting takes place during the winter along a front line 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) long. In recent months, Russian air attacks have increased A sharp increase in civilian casualties.
The war in Ukraine and other conflicts, incl The war between Israel and Hamas, It was especially dangerous for journalists. In December, the International Federation of Journalists said 94 journalists killed Around the world in 2023, nearly 400 people will be imprisoned.
in “20 days in Mariupol” Chernov, Malolitka and Stepanenko are challenged not only by the artillery shells falling around them but also by the Russian siege of the city. Water, food supplies, and most importantly, the Internet have been cut off since the days of Mariupol after the invasion. Journalists had to search for places to send their messages from, sending minutes of hours of footage.
“Despite extremely difficult and deeply personal circumstances, AP's Mariupol team provided the world with an essential window into the Russia-Ukraine war as it began to unfold,” Julie Pace, AP's senior vice president and executive editor, said in a statement. “The Academy’s selection to recognize 20 Days in Mariupol is a testament to the power of eyewitness journalism and the courage of journalists on the ground.”
the Other candidates For documentaries: “Four Girls”, “Bobi Wine: President of the People”, “Eternal memory” And “to kill the tiger.”
With the proliferation of documentary filmmaking in recent years, news organizations have played prominent roles in Oscar-nominated documentaries. Last year, CNN Films won its first Oscar for the Alexei Navalny documentary “Navalny.” In 2022, The New York Times received its first Academy Award for short documentary “Queen of Basketball.” Last year, four New Yorker short films received four Academy Award nominations.
The 96th Academy Awards ceremony is on March 10.
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