20 Days in Mariupol

An Associated Press (AP) team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only international reporters remaining in the city, they capture what later become defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, etc. 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. After nearly a decade of covering international conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, for the AP team, this is Mstyslav Chernov’s first feature film. Together with longtime colleague Evgeniy Maloletka, Chernov recorded the siege of Mariupol, showing the world eyewitness accounts of the Russian attacks on the city. Chernov’s courageous reporting in Mariupol earned the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.