In his acceptance speech for 20 Days in Mariupol, which won the Oscar for best documentary feature on Sunday, Ukrainian director Mstislav Chernov emotionally denounced the continued invasion of his country by Russian forces.
“I'll be the first director on this stage to say, “I wish I hadn't made this movie,'''' Chernov said.
A harrowing first-person account by Associated Press video journalist Chernov captures the first days of the Russian invasion and the devastation and destruction that faced the port city of Mariupol. “20 Days in Mariupol'' became the first Ukrainian film to win an Oscar.
“We would like to exchange this for Russia never attacking Ukraine and never occupying our cities,” Chernov continued. “I want to acknowledge that Russia did not kill tens of thousands of fellow Ukrainians. I hope they release all the hostages, everyone. The soldiers who are defending their land, all the civilians who are now in prison. ”
Chernov and his crew rushed to escape from Mariupol alive. In his speech, he said that while we cannot change history, we want it to be remembered.
“We can set the historical record straight and ensure that the truth prevails and that the people of Mariupol and those who gave their lives are never forgotten,” he said.
Many Ukrainians echoed this view on social media on Monday, celebrating the news that the documentary had won an Oscar. They said it was crucial to watch this documentary to truly understand Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.
“The world has seen the truth of Russia's crimes,” said Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President's Office. “Our film destroyed the enemy's propaganda.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a statement before last week's ceremony that the “horrible true story” told in the documentary is “crucial to counter Russian lies and keep Ukraine in the spotlight.”
