U.S. State Department To Screen ’20 Days In Mariupol’ At Event Tied To Anniversary Of Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine

The State Department will screen 20 Days In Mariupol, nominated in the feature documentary Oscar category this year, at an event on February 27.

Elizabeth Allen, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy, will give remarks at the screening along with Oksana Markarova, Ukraine‘s ambassador to the United States.

The event is tied to the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, which is Saturday. Through February and March, U.S. embassies and American spaces will be hosting screenings.

The documentary also is getting a new theatrical release and will air on PBS on Thursday.

The film is directed by Mstyslav Chernov, who was part of a team of Associated Press journalists who were trapped in Mariupol. They were the only international reporters left in the city. In a statement, Chernov said, “The suffering and destruction you see in the documentary continues today as the war in Ukraine rages on. It is crucial that the world know the stories of Mariupol’s residents and the persistent fight of the Ukrainian people.” The AP team won two Pulitzer Prizes, for public service journalism and breaking news photography, and Chernov won a Directors Guild of America award.

20 Days In Mariupol was produced in collaboration with PBS’ Frontline and the Associated Press.