Overview
As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities.
When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, journalist and filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov found himself and his crew trapped in the besieged port town of Mariupol for 20 days, and documented the invasion, and the impact on the lives of those caught up in it, determined to show the world outside what was really happening whilst the Russian propaganda machine tried to cover up the reality. In the early days of the invasion, news channels around the world ran images and moments caught by Chernov and his team to show the true horror of the conflict. This documentary put together by Chernov compiles his footage together to show a town, and its people, swiftly brought to decimation, and captures the raw brutality of war from a very harrowing and bleak viewpoint.
This is not an easy film to watch, but is an essential one, showing the atrocities and war-crimes served out by the invading forces without reservation. As innocent lives are impacted as the Russian strikes on communities and public buildings wreck homes, destroy families, and shatter lives, there is no holding back as we see bodies, young and old, destruction, distress, and even how the worst side of human nature can come from the confusion the attacks caused. In the early days of the entries, the citizens are worried, but reassure themselves that surely the public areas aren’t targets, but as strikes are made on residential areas, and even hospitals, the horrific scenes that unfold – all the while Chernov and his crew being asked to keep filming to show the world what is really going on – are sure to upset, and distress. Looters raiding stores are confronted by the crew, asking them what they are doing that for, and a storekeeper who has lost her home breaks down as her business is being stripped bare by her fellow citizens. Russian propaganda impacts on some residents who believe the stories that it is the Ukraine themselves committing these atrocities. Society breaks down swiftly, all captured in this few short weeks that the film crew were trapped.
This is not an easy film to watch, and it doesn’t hold back on distressing image, and it is certainly a film that once seen you never want to see it again – the images will have already been burned deep into your mind on first watch. What it is, however, is a documentary that shows us not only the true horror of war, and the suffering of innocents caught up in it, but also the importance of war correspondents and their determination to put their own lives in danger in order to capture the truth of a situation. Possibly one of the most important docu-films of our times, this is a must-see.