20 Days in Mariupol

During the Russian siege in 2022, unspeakably gruesome and bloody images of the countless dead and wounded victims of bombings and shootings in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol were seen around the world—thanks in part to the work of Ukrainian AP journalist Mstyslav Chernov. With great difficulty in this city lacking electricity and internet coverage, he managed to share these shocking and now-iconic images, such as the pregnant woman being carried on a stretcher from a bombed-out maternity clinic.

This documentary offers an even more powerful and mind-boggling impression of the siege—if such a thing is possible. The crystal-clear quality of the video footage makes for an almost 3D viewing experience. The camera captures the entry into the blasted clinic, the hurriedly dug mass graves containing dead children, and emotional exclamations from the doctors working in operating rooms.

The footage is pin-sharp, though sometimes jittery due to the explosions. In his soft-spoken voice-over, we hear Chernov talking about his emotional response to the 20 days that transformed this normal city into a shattered ruin.