The film “20 Days in Mariupol” by Kharkiv photojournalist Mstyslav Chernov was awarded at the Sundance Film Festival, the Ukrainian Film Association reported.

American viewers liked the full-length documentary, which was screened as part of the World Cinema Documentary Competition program.

Associated Press video journalist Mstyslav Chernov, the director/producer/cinematographer of “20 Days in Mariupol,” introduces the film at its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

“This is not an achievement for our team, it is an honor. It is an honor to represent Ukrainian documentaries and to use this platform to draw attention to the hardships, resilience and bravery of the Ukrainian people, especially the people of Mariupol. I hope that this film will not only raise awareness and support of the international community, but will also become a permanent record of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and potential war crimes that took place in Mariupol,” Mstyslav Chernov posted on his Facebook page.

The movie tells how Mariupol experienced the first weeks of the full-scale Russian invasion. The first shelling, cold nights without light and heat, the bombing of a maternity hospital, burned-out windows of high-rise buildings, and the rescue of the author and his colleagues from the Associated Press from the city surrounded by Russian troops.

The film was created by Ukrainian journalist Mstyslav Chernov in collaboration with photographer Yevhen Malolhetka and producer Vasylisa Stepanenko.

  • Ukrainian photojournalists Yevgeny Maloletka and Mstyslav Chernov were awarded by the international non-profit organization “Reporters without Borders” in the category “Impact”.

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