The film “20 Days in Mariupol,” directed by Mstyslav Chernov, won the award for "Best Feature Documentary" at the Septimius Awards in the Netherlands.
According to a correspondent from Ukrinform in The Hague, the award ceremony took place on August 20 in Amsterdam.
Ukrainian journalist and producer Vasylisa Stepanenko, who worked with Chernov in the besieged Mariupol in 2022, accepted the award. She appeared on stage with Anastasia, who was pregnant in a maternity hospital in Mariupol during the bombings.
"It is a great honor to be on stage today, and it is a huge honor to be on stage with this family. She (Anastasia) was pregnant with her son when the Russians bombed the maternity hospital. Today he is almost three years old, just like the war. The full-scale invasion continues. Now the Netherlands has become a temporary home for them... I came here from Ukraine, and tomorrow I will return to continue reporting and telling these important stories. Thanks to you and the films, we can tell these crucial stories, and these people will have their voices heard. And people will unite and continue their work. I believe that this can make the world a better place," Stepanenko said from the stage after receiving the award.
Anastasia from Mariupol emphasized: "This film was made at the risk of life. Thanks to it, we see the full truth and realities. This is very important for Ukraine, Europe, and the whole world."
For the first time in the history of Ukrainian cinema, the film “20 Days in Mariupol” directed by Mstyslav Chernov won an Oscar, triumphing in the category of "Best Documentary Feature." It was also nominated for "Best International Feature Film."
The film was produced in collaboration between Associated Press and American documentarians from Frontline. The footage was captured during the initial days of the siege of the city by Russian forces. This is the directorial debut of war correspondent, photographer, videographer, and writer Mstyslav Chernov. Photographer Yevhen Maloletka and producer and journalist Vasylisa Stepanenko were also involved in the project. They received the Pulitzer Prize for their work in Mariupol.
Additionally, Maloletka, Chernov, and Stepanenko received the Shevchenko Prize for a series of journalistic materials about the siege of Mariupol.
The film was first shown at the Sundance Film Festival, one of the major independent film festivals in the USA, in the World Cinema Documentary Competition section, where it won the Audience Award.
The Ukrainian premiere took place at the Docudays UA festival, where “20 Days in Mariupol” was awarded Best Film in the National Competition and also received the Audience Award.
The film also won awards at the Cleveland International Film Festival (USA), DocAviv (Israel), Sheffield DocFest (UK), DocEdge (New Zealand), Cinema for Peace Awards (Germany), and the Royal Television Society (UK).
