Kinosvit is a brand-new film program of feature-length and short films representing both modern and traditional Ukrainian films curated for Winnipeg’s Ukrainian diaspora and the local film community. The series has been programmed by Dmytro Kashuba, a graduate of London Film School, and recent Ukrainian emigree.
Dir. Mstyslav Chernov
2023, Ukraine, 94 min
Ukrainian, English and Russian with English subtitles
A film by Pulitzer prize-winning Ukrainian journalist Mstyslav Chernov, 20 Days in Mariupol follows an AP team of Ukrainian journalists as they struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only international reporters who remain in the city, they capture what later become defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more.
After nearly a decade covering international conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, for The Associated Press, 20 Days in Mariupol is Chernov’s first feature film. The film draws on Chernov’s daily news dispatches and personal footage of his own country at war. It offers a vivid, harrowing account of civilians caught in the siege, as well as a window into what it’s like to report from a conflict zone, and the impact of such journalism around the globe.
Generously sponsored by Manitoba Film & Music, DOC Manitoba and DOC National.
“Mstyslav Chernov’s immersive, shattering documentary recounting the invasion’s first weeks, ‘20 Days in Mariupol,’ is a brutal, necessary, heart-pounding reminder of why the siege shocked the world, and what remains at stake whether you’re staying apprised or not. Acrid and harrowing, it’ll slap you awake.” – Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
