Mstyslav Chernov, who won the 2024 BAFTA Best Documentary Award with Raney Aronson-Rath for 20 Days in Mariupol.
Chernov explained that while it is a “huge honor” and “huge responsibility” to be rewarded like this, he also feels “conflicted” when there are far more serious events at hand.
“We are so grateful for them recognizing our work. But still, I keep thinking about Ukraine, I keep thinking about what is happening there right now. And the only comfort for me that I’m not filming out there is that we give voice to Ukrainians, we keep reminding the world about what is happening right now. Another city just got occupied by Russia so it is more important than ever to be here and keep talking about this. I hope the world never forgets this but we have to keep reminding everyone,” Chernov said.
“I am already really grateful that we also made it into the Film Not in the English Language category to be more visible to people who are less interested in documentaries. So it’s great that documentaries are able to compete in some other categories,” Chernov said. “That’s a great example for Ukraine right now. It chooses documentary to represent the country. I think it depends on what is happening and what is the situation in every single country. Sometimes, documentaries are the best medium to talk about certain issues, and certainly, documentaries are the best ones right now. I don’t see it as a restriction, I see it as the right time. I’m really grateful for the exposure.”
Chernov and “20 Days in Mariupol” lost Best Film Not in the English Language to A24’s “The Zone of Interest.”
“‘The Zone of Interest’ is a film this year that we feel really connected to. We speak about the devastating impact of war on the civilian population. But it’s not just about storytelling, it’s more of a symbol that we are trying to carry,” Chernov said. “That attempt to make the message more universal is actually specifically directed to fight against selective empathy because we talk about not just about people in Mariupol and not just about what happened in death camps but about humanity. It’s a fight for survival. It’s a wish for the world to be a better place for all of us.”
