20 Days in Mariupol

 

Written, directed, and co-shot by Mstyslav Chernov, 20 Days in Mariupol is a film in which Chernov and his colleagues spend 20 days under siege in Mariupol following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. The film showcases journalists covering a worldwide event as well as showcase the horrors of war as a country tries to defend itself against its invaders. The result is a terrifying and harrowing film from Mstyslav Chernov.

On February 24, 2022, Russia under the claims they’re to be attacked by the neighboring country of Ukraine would send troops, tanks, and forces to the country where the port city of Mariupol that is near the Russian border. For 20 days under siege in the city, Ukrainian journalist Mstyslav Chernov along with colleagues including still photographer Evgeniy Maloletka would cover the events of Mariupol for the Associated Press as they would stay in the city evading snipers, ground troops, and such during the course of these 20 days. The film is about Chernov’s coverage of Mariupol being under siege as well as him and his colleagues surviving 20 days as they cover the events and release them to the press against many odds.

Through the usage of phones and video cameras, Chernov and his colleagues capture the sense of silence that is happening before the war as Mariupol looks like any normal city with houses and buildings but it would be gone within months after the Russians have taken it with supposedly more than 25,000 civilians killed including women and children. Yet, Chernov and his crew would showcase the many atrocities that the Russians committed under the supervision of its president in Vladimir Putin and his propaganda team as they claim that the footage Chernov had released to the public is fake news.

Still, Chernov reveals the emotional and mental toll of the people including the police, firemen, and medical staff who do their best to help and save lives with its police chief doing what he can to help Chernov and his crew while also making a speech about what is happening in Mariupol. Chernov and Maloletka keep things realistic in terms of its visuals as they would also shoot from afar as the most dangerous day in Day 16 where they’re on the 7th floor of one of the remaining hospitals as a Russian tank arrives just close by. There is this sense of danger while there’s another tense moment where a sniper has shot a nurse (who lived) as others are trapped prompting Ukrainian soldiers to try and take out the sniper as one of the lead soldiers is trying to make sure that the civilians are safe.

With the aid editor Michelle Mizner in cultivating many of the footage that wasn’t presented to the news as well as footage from Chernov’s other films as he laments being away from his family who are also Ukrainian though they were able to flee the country. The sound work of Jim Sullivan is superb in capturing not just the many sounds that were recorded but also in the audio of the people who are troubled by what is happening around them. The film’s music by Jordan Dykstra is wonderful for its somber electronic score as it plays into not just the horror but also in the tragedy of war with some of the starkest imagery emerging including a mass grave made for all of those who died including children.

20 Days in Mariupol is a tremendous film from Mstyslav Chernov. It is a documentary film that doesn’t shy away from the atrocities of war as well as capturing the terror that civilians are dealing with as their home is being besieged by a tyrannical forces with false claims of being threatened. It is also a film that showcases what journalists had to do to cover the war as well as showcase the truth no matter how horrifying it is. In the end 20 Days in Mariupol is a sensational film from Mstyslav Chernov.

© thevoid99 2024