The film this Oscar-winner wishes he never made
Mstyslav Chernov is an Oscar-winning director. He wishes he never made the film that earned him Hollywood's biggest honor.
The Ukranian director won the Academy Award for best documentary on Sunday for “20 Days in Mariupol,” a gut-wrenching film that depicts a team of Associated Press journalists who continue to document the Russian invasion of Ukraine despite overwhelming peril. Chernov's raw, searing account, which can be very difficult to watch, marks the first Oscar win for Ukraine.
“Probably I will be the first director on this stage who will say I wish I've never made this," a somber Chernov said on the Oscars stage. "I wish to be able to exchange this to Russia never attacking Ukraine, never occupying our cities.
When he came to speak to a room of reporters backstage, Chernov wanted to remind the world of a terrible anniversary and just how important cinema is even in the face of sorrow and survival.