While watching the documentary 20 Days in Mariupol by journalist Mstyslav Chernov brilliantly showcases the siege of the city of Mariupol done by Russian forces. While watching, I was able to grasp the full extent of the situation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and how its citizens remain united.
The opening clips show the tension of smoke and tanks rolling into a once peaceful city now surrounded by debris. The shaky camera and dialogue of those speaking shows the theme and the filmmaker’s motivation to show how war is destructive to homes/neighborhoods yet it cannot damage the bond the people have with their homeland. The video showing clips of vertical and horizontal shows how these attacks are occurring within reach that we can take out our phones and record. There were clips of news anchors and them describing the events, having that included was helpful as it puts into context what was going on but also shows the raw extent Chernov wants the world to see.
The story circle we learned is displayed in this documentary where first is getting shots of the neighborhood and the people and them expressing their feelings. And later on as the days passed on the rising action shows the various events of the city being under attack. For me the climax was when the hospital was giving chest compressions to a toddler which made me reflect on what happened toward the beginning where Chernov recorded families and their kids, showcasing their feelings and frustrations not being able to enjoy their life. Even though the story ends with the journalist returning safely it brings awareness to what the people living there have to go through and how we must take action to keep their families safe.
This documentary was powerful, showing the side that people don’t tend to see, I was able to understand the resilience of the Ukrainian people and how we should have their stories told.