'20 Days in Mariupol' Documentary Earns First Oscar Nomination for Associated Press

Film Chronicles Early Weeks of Ukraine War, Unveiling Harrowing Realities of Mariupol Siege

The documentary '20 Days in Mariupol' has been nominated for best documentary at the Academy Awards, marking the first Oscar nomination for the Associated Press in its 178-year history.
The film, a co-production between the AP and PBS’ 'Frontline', was shot during the first three weeks of the war in Ukraine, in early 2022.
Chernov, a Ukrainian journalist and filmmaker, arrived in Mariupol one hour before Russia began bombarding the port city. With him were photographer Evgeniy Maloletka and field producer Vasilisa Stepanenko.
The images and stories they captured — the death of a 4-year-old girl, freshly dug mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital — unflinchingly documented the grim, relentless realities of the unfolding siege.
The work of Chernov, Maloletka, Stepanenko and Lori Hinnant last year won the Pulitzer Prize for public service and featured prominently in a Pulitzer for breaking news photography.