Encore Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 at 9:50 p.m. on KPBS 2 / Stream now with the PBS App
FRONTLINE and The Associated Press present the U.S. broadcast premiere of "20 Days In Mariupol," a visceral, first-person view of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, told through the perspective of filmmaker and Ukrainian AP video journalist Mstyslav Chernov.
The film follows Chernov as he and his Ukrainian AP colleagues remain trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol, struggling to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. After nearly a decade covering international conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war for The Associated Press, “20 Days In Mariupol” is Mstyslav Chernov’s first feature film.
Chernov and his colleagues, photographer Evgeniy Maloletka and field producer Vasilisa Stepanenko, were the last international reporters to remain in Mariupol as Russian troops attacked the city. Together, the 2023 Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists documented what would become defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more.
Produced and edited by FRONTLINE’s Michelle Mizner, “20 Days In Mariupol” draws on Chernov’s daily news dispatches and personal footage of his own country at war. The result is a raw and haunting account of a journalist risking his life to share the truth of the conflict with the world.
FRONTLINE’s editor-in-chief and executive producer Raney Aronson-Rath and AP’s vice president of news and head of global news production Derl McCrudden also produced the documentary.
Film Awards:
Made in partnership with The Associated Press, "20 Days In Mariupol" has had a decorated run on the 2023 film festival circuit — including winning the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary and the Tim Hetherington Award at Sheffield Film Festival. The film was also honored with DocEdge Film Festival’s awards for “Best International Director” and “Best International Editing.” The film was also selected by Ukraine as its pick for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Filmmaker Quotes:
“As we continue to share '20 Days In Mariupol' with audiences around the world, we hope this film can serve as a historical documentation of what Ukrainian civilians have endured in this conflict,” says Aronson-Rath. “We’re proud to bring this documentary to our public media audiences, grateful to our colleagues at The Associated Press for their partnership on this film, as well as to GBH, PBS and CPB for supporting this critical storytelling.”
“'20 Days In Mariupol' is a testament to the power and importance of eyewitness journalism,” said AP Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Julie Pace. “Though difficult to watch, it’s essential for the world to see the facts as they unfolded. We are so pleased to have worked with FRONTLINE on this important project.”
Watch On Your Schedule: The film is available to stream with the PBS App, at pbs.org/frontline and YouTube
Credits: Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematographer: Mstyslav Chernov. Field Producer: Vasilisa Stepanenko. Still Photographer: Evgeniy Maloletka. Producer, Editor: Michelle Mizner. Producers: Raney Aronson-Rath, Derl McCrudden. Composer: Jordan Dykstrais. Distributed domestically by PBS Distribution and internationally by Dogwoof. Visit: https://20daysinmariupol.com/#filmmakers
