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“I would give up all the recognition for Russia not killing tens of thousands of my fellow Ukrainians,” said Mstyslav Chernov while accepting the Oscar, which he said is the first in the country’s history.
By Mia Galuppo
Film Writer
20 Days in Mariupol won best documentary at the 2024 Oscars, with director Mstyslav Chernov celebrating what he said is the first Oscar win for Ukraine while also acknowledging his wish to have never made his documentary in the first place.
“I am honored but probably I will be the first director on this stage to say I wish I never made this film. I wish to be able to exchange this for Russia never attacking Ukraine and never occupying our cities,” said Chernov. “I would give up all the recognition for Russia not killing tens of thousands of my fellow Ukrainians. I wish for them to release all the hostages, all of the soldiers who are protecting their lands, all of the civilians who are now in their jails. But I can’t change history; I cannot change the past.”
20 Days in Mariupol was shot during the early days of Russia’s invasion of the Ukrainian city, where Chernov, an AP reporter, was trapped with his fellow journalists as they struggled to document the war while also staying alive.
Also nominated at 2024 Academy Awards in the best documentary category were Bobi Wine: The People’s President, The Eternal Memory, Four Daughters and To Kill Tiger.
Chernov called on those in the Dolby to make sure that the story of the Ukrainian invasion is told with accuracy. The director was accepting his Oscar as the invasion of Ukraine enters its second year and as Congress still struggles to pass a bill that would send a new round of aid to Ukraine.
He continued, “I want you, some of the most talented people in the world, we can make sure the historical record is set straight and that the truth will prevail and that the people of Mariupol and those who have given their lives will never be forgotten. Because cinema forms memories, and memories form history.”
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