20 Days in Mariupol(2023)
dir. Mstyslav Chernov
The last reporters inside a city under siege.
Where to watch: Free: Kanopy and Hoopla (library card); PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel subscription; rent $1.99 Amazon, $2.99 Fandango At Home (JustWatch US, checked 2026-11-03).Letterboxd ↗
Associated Press journalists Mstyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka and Vasilisa Stepanenko were the last international reporters in Mariupol when Russia besieged the city in 2022. Their footage of a maternity hospital bombing, mass graves and doctors working by flashlight is edited into a day-by-day record of the siege. The film won the 2024 Oscar for best documentary.
Why it’s here
The film is what witness looks like when somebody refuses to look away. What's punk is that the reporters kept filming while Russian propaganda called their footage staged. What's pedagogical is how clearly it shows the work of journalism, and the cost. Pairs with Winter on Fire, This Is Not Propaganda and the Fascism bundle. Note: graphic scenes including dead children; for older teens and adults.
Where This Film Lives
- Setting
- Ukraine • Europe • Eastern Europe
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