Mstyslav Chernov on Oscar-nominated Ukraine war doc, ‘20 Days in Mariupol’

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“You can't really stop bleeding with a photo or a video. You cannot resurrect the dead by making a film,” says director Mystyslav Chernov. “But you still stay there, because when the crime is happening, and you're just standing aside and not doing anything, you feel like you're participating in the crime.” (PHOTO PROVIDED)

“You can't really stop bleeding with a photo or a video. You cannot resurrect the dead by making a film,” says director Mystyslav Chernov. “But you still stay there, because when the crime is happening, and you're just standing aside and not doing anything, you feel like you're participating in the crime.” (PHOTO PROVIDED) Photo Credit: AP Photo/Felipe Dana.

Filmmaker and war correspondent Mstyslav Chernov faced grave danger shooting his Oscar-nominated documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, but he couldn’t stand idly by while Vladimir Putin’s army laid waste to his homeland. 

“You can't really stop bleeding with a photo or a video. You cannot resurrect the dead by making a film. But you still stay there, because when the crime is happening, and you're just standing aside and not doing anything, you feel like you're participating in the crime,” Chernov says. 

The BAFTA-winning director shares how an Associated Press assignment in war-torn Ukraine led to his devastating Oscar contender for Best Documentary. He also talks about the importance of keeping the world’s eyes on the war in Ukraine. 

Credits

Guest:

  • Mstyslav Chernov - Associated Press journalist, director of “20 days in Mariupol”

Host:

Kim Masters

Producer:

Joshua Farnham