Ukrainian video journalist Mstyslav Chernov was among the last reporters still in Mariupol when the port city was invaded by Russian forces. They were trapped, in danger, and surrounded by scenes of brutality and despair. But they kept the cameras rolling.
The video they managed to transmit to the outside world was shocking. For the reporting, Chernov and his colleagues won the Pulitzer Prize for public service.
Now, the war-zone footage comprises the film 20 Days in Mariupol. “The relentless and truly important documentary,” writes The New York Times, “engulfs us in the initial ferocity of Russia’s siege of a city whose name has become a byword for this war’s inhumanity.”
The film will be shown Wednesday, August 16, 7pm, at the Sebastiani Theatre. The special evening includes a live appearance by Anatoly Leontyev, the president of the Kaniv, Ukraine Friendship Association. He will give a short presentation on the status of the war in Ukraine
The event is presented by Sonoma Sister Cities Association, Kaniv Committee. Tickets are $35 and benefit the SSCA..