WATCH DOCS to distribute "20 Days in Mariupol"

The WATCH DOCS Festival and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights are launching the distribution of the Oscar-nominated documentary "20 Days in Mariupol," directed by Mstislav Chernov.

The documentary, which brought its makers a Pulitzer Prize, is a winner of the most important film festivals in the world, such as Sundance, CPH:DOX and IDFA. The film was also appreciated by Polish audiences - the audience and the jury of the Main Competition of the 23rd WATCH DOCS IFF. The film has received the patronage of the Association of Arthouse Cinemas

The premiere of the film will take place on March 8, 2024, but we encourage you to organize pre-release screenings in connection with the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine (February 24).

"20 Days in Mariupol" is a harrowing cinematic indictment of Russia: a shocking account of the eponymous city's destruction from the sole journalist who remained there until the end. Mstyslav Chernov, who risked his life to record Russian war crimes and the daily grind of Mariupol residents, offers not a reporter's record of events, but a piercing, passionate documentary indictment. At the same time, this is full-fledged cinema, made with impressive formal discipline. It is a rare film that generates such tension, from the first minutes to the finale, which reveals how the filmmaker managed to extricate this explosive material from the occupied zone.Few filmmakers can show the merciless cruelty of war with such impact. But Chernov and his crew don't labour for shock value. They intend to leave a testimonial and shake the conscience of the world.

Film with Polish, English and Ukrainian subtitles. For adult viewers only.

Upcoming Warsaw screenings: