John Hansard Gallery, in partnership with City Eye, host an Oscar-winning documentary highlighting the war in Ukraine.
‘An immersive and haunting portrayal of the toll of war’
Three and a half years into the invasion, 20 Days in Mariupol (2023) details the tragedy of the first weeks of the full-scale Russian offensive. Created by cameraman Mstislav Chernov and photographer Evgeniy Maloletka, the events unfold on the screen in real time in late-February 2022: the last peaceful evening in Mariupol, an industrial city in southern Ukraine.
The journalists experienced the shock of the brutality of the Russian invasion together with the residents of Mariupol. They captured images that would later become defining images of the war in Ukraine: the death of children, mass graves, a bombed-out maternity hospital, and other horrors. On the 21st day of the blockade, they managed to leave the city through the humanitarian corridor and take away all the video and photo evidence of this tragedy.
The film is a poignant, first-person portrait of the invasion that shows not only suffering and despair, but also the fortitude and resilience of people.
20 Days in Mariupol is part of John Hansard Gallery’s summer programme, New World Order, which includes film work by Ukrainian filmmaker Mykola Ridnyi.
A panel discussion will take place following the screening. The Gallery will be open from 6pm for a chance to view Mykola Ridnyi’s exhibition, Mazepa’s Ride.
18+ only. Includes scenes that viewers may find upsetting