Ukrainian journalist and director Mstyslav Chernov gained the Finest Documentary Route award on the Sundance Movie Pageant on Jan. 31 for his movie "2,000 Meters to Andriivka" within the World Cinema class.
The documentary follows Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive, as Chernov embeds with a platoon from the third Separate Assault Brigade. Their mission was to liberate Andriivka, a strategically necessary village in Donetsk Oblast. Surrounded by mines, the village is accessible solely via a slender stretch of forest, making the battle significantly grueling.
🏆 The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary goes to Mstyslav Chernov @mstyslavchernov for “2000 Meters to Andriivka” pic.twitter.com/wc1W1RP9lO
— Sundance Movie Pageant (@sundancefest) January 31, 2025
"That is the story of Ukrainian troopers combating for each inch of their land," Chernov stated. "It’s the story of a small forest and the village of Andriivka, positioned simply two hours from my hometown. It’s the story of contemporary warfare—the way it’s fought, the way it’s endured, and the way it adjustments us."
Chernov labored on the challenge with Related Press photographer Oleksandr Babienko. The movie was produced by Michelle Misner and Rainey Aronson-Rath, each of whom gained an Oscar for "20 Days in Mariupol." Misner additionally served because the movie’s editor.
Chernov, an acclaimed warfare correspondent and documentary filmmaker, was invited final yr to affix the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences, a physique of greater than 10,000 members that votes on the annual Oscar winners.
His earlier movie, "20 Days in Mariupol," gained the Oscar for Finest Documentary on the 96th Academy Awards final March.
The movie captures the Russian siege of Mariupol within the early weeks of the full-scale invasion, providing a firsthand account from Chernov and his staff. It’s the first Ukrainian-directed movie to ever obtain an Oscar.
The Kyiv IndependentYevheniia Motorevska