Anyone who’s followed, even in passing, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has come across footage captured by Ukrainian photojournalist and war correspondent Mstyslav Chernov. Where his on-the-ground video dispatches have provided crucial snapshots of the damage being done to civilian sites in the Ukrainian border city of Mariupol, Chernov’s feature-length documentary 20 Days in Mariupol provides something closer to the whole picture. During the first few weeks of the Russian invasion, Mariupol took the brunt of the damage in Ukraine, and Chernov’s film unflinchingly documents the sudden and rapid escalation of the bombing campaign. AdvertisementAt its core, 20 Days in Mariupol is a testament to the citizens of Mariupol. They’re shooting and I’m walking.”Chernov contextualizes the events of 20 Days of Mariupol as just the most recent Russian assault on Ukraine, following the annexation of Crimea and the invasion of Donbass in 2014.
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