NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The visceral documentary about Russia's early assault on the Ukrainian city, will soon reach its widest audience yet.
The 94-minute film, a joint production by The Associated Press and PBS 鈥淔rontline," has been met and an . AP journalist Mstyslav Chernov directed the movie from 30 hours of footage shot in Mariupol in the opening days of the war. Chernov and AP colleagues Evgeniy Maloletka, a photographer, and producer Vasilisa Stepanenko were the last international journalists in the city before escaping.
鈥淚 thought I should do something more. I should do something more with that 30 hours of footage to tell a bigger story and more context to show the audience of the scale,鈥� Chernov has said.
After screenings in dozens of cities, 鈥�20 Days in Mariupol鈥� will air on PBS stations in the U.S. beginning Tuesday. As it heads to home and streaming devices, here are details on how it came together and where you can watch it.
WHERE CAN I WATCH 鈥�20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL鈥�?
PBS shows air depending on local schedules, so it's best to check for when the documentary will air on the 鈥淔rontline鈥� website at
鈥淔rontline鈥� episodes are also available after they air on the , which also includes other ways to purchase them.
WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT THE FILM?
It is an intense account of the war's early days. Death abounds. Chernov, Maloletka and Stepanenko documented fighting in the streets, the crushing strain on Mariupol's besieged residents and attacks that left pregnant women, children and others dead.
The provides some sense of difficult scenes in the film.
WHAT ARE CRITICS SAYING ABOUT 鈥�20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL鈥�?
The film has gotten excellent critical reception and won numerous awards, including two Critics Choice honors this week. It currently has a on the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
鈥淲atching Chernov鈥檚 film is a humanitarian duty,鈥� .
The film is also a New York Times Critic's Pick, with reviewer Jason Farago noting: 鈥淭his film is very hard to watch, and so it should be, though its episodic structure makes it somewhat easier to endure.鈥�
鈥淲hat comes through most vividly, other than the human tragedy on display, is the vital importance of war correspondents and the courage and ingenuity they must possess in order to work under such life-threatening conditions,鈥� The Hollywood Reporter .
HOW DID THE FILM COME TOGETHER?
Chernov and the AP team could only send limited footage and dispatches during their 20 days in Mariupol.
Once they were safely outside the city, the team was able to review their footage and Chernov considered what to do with it. He wanted to focus on the time the team was in the city and narrated the film himself.
鈥淚t鈥檚 OK to tell the audiences about your emotions,鈥� . 鈥淚t鈥檚 just important to not let those emotions dictate what you show and don鈥檛 show. ... While narrated by me, I still tried to keep it fair.鈥�
鈥淔rontline鈥� producer Michelle Mizner edited 鈥�20 Days.鈥�
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REPORTING BEHIND THE FILM?
Chernov's of fleeing the city 鈥� with Russian soldiers hunting for the AP team 鈥� tells the amazing backstory behind their reporting.
For months after leaving Mariupol, the AP team continued to document the conflict in Mariupol, including a detailed investigation into a Russian attack on a theater that and Russia's efforts to after taking control of it.
The team, which included investigative correspondent Lori Hinnant, won the Pulitzer Prize for public service. The Pulitzer website includes links to the . AP's coverage of the war, in Mariupol and beyond, also won the this year.
AP and 鈥淔rontline鈥� also produced a project tracking , including two short documentaries that can be found on .
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For more coverage of Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine, visit
The Associated Press
