War photography and cinematography has been a vital part of civilians understanding the horrors of war for over 100 years at this point. Still, no war documentary or amount of photos can prepare you for some of the images and moments captured in director Mstyslav Chernov’s film 20 Days in Mariupol. This documentary features a team of Ukrainian journalists who find themselves trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol as the Russian invasion begins back in 2022. As the title implies, it documents and depicts the horrors of this war’s atrocities over 20 days in the city. It is by no means an easy watch, and I was brought to sobbing tears several times – but it is a film that feels vital to understanding the true nightmare that this has been.
A central debate with films like this is the role of the cinematography/reporter in capturing the events. Many war documentaries depict soldiers fighting the opposing side’s other soldiers. However, that is not who we see killed in this film. This war footage show tanks firing on apartment buildings, shells falling on residential areas, and the bodies of many civilians, which are all sights one should never have to see. Yet, we must – as it has happened, and continues to happen. Thus, the debate mentioned at the top of this paragraph: should a reporter be a passive observer in situations like this, or should they put down their task to play a more vital role? They are in as much danger as the other people trapped in Mariupol, but there are many times in the documentary when people want the reporters to stop filming. There is a necessity to get these images to the rest of the world, but the question of when and what to film becomes harder to answer the worse things get.
Another part of the film shows the Russian media claiming that many of the photos and videos coming out of Ukraine were staged, and calling it fake news. This is another terrifying part of the world we find ourselves in. There is so much information out there, and even more to contradict the news you thought you could trust. People are having to actively choose sides, and make quick decisions as to what to believe. The inclusion of those reports in this documentary brings up that debate while we are taking the word of reporters who hope we will believe their images as evidence. This is true of every documentary, as we often call these films “true stories” and such – but we are reminded that they are also edited and filtered through a series of people making choices about what to include. The images in this film are undeniable, but that is the very fear the filmmaker has while trying to get out of Mariupol. At one point, we are told that if Russian soldiers capture this team of reporters, they’ll be forced to say that the images they have shared are fakes.
20 Days in Mariupol and another documentary from Ukraine called Rule of Two Walls are both important pieces of cultural significance. They depict what it is like to be stuck in a war you wanted nothing to do with. People living their normal day-to-day lives suddenly find their homes, stores, jobs, and restaurants to be the battlefield of an invading force. The illusion of safety is shattered by the blasting of tanks, and your morning playlist is replaced by sounds of explosions and gunfire. While not an easy watch for us – nor an easy choice by the reporters to keep their cameras rolling – 20 Days in Mariupol is a demonstration of the importance of the medium.
20 Days in Mariupol will be out on July 14 in New York City and July 21st in Los Angeles.
Rating: Must See
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