Two films about war in Ukraine win awards at Sheffield DocFest 2023 Film Festival

Two documentaries about the war in Ukraine - From Where to Where by Macek Hamela and 20 Days in Mariupol by Mstyslav Chernov received awards at the Sheffield DocFest 2023 festival in the UK. The winners of Sheffield DocFest 2023 were announced on Sunday, 18 June. The film From Where to Where (In the Rearview) received the main award in the international competition.

"Created with intimacy and delicate respect, we, the jury members, were overwhelmed by the brilliant simplicity of this film, which makes us fellow travellers on a worldwide odyssey of survival and escapes", the jury members explained their choice.

"We lack words, we are overwhelmed with joy. Every festival selection, every award, and international recognition is another opportunity to continue raising awareness of the war that is still ongoing. Glory To Ukraine!", the production team reacted to their victory.

Polish-Ukrainian-French film From Where to Where was directed by Macek Hamela, who, from the first days of the Russian invasion, has been engaged in evacuating Ukrainians. The film is based on the stories of the people he saved. From Where to Where's premiere took place in May of this year at the Cannes Film Festival.

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20 Days in Mariupol was also marked at Sheffield DocFest 2023 - it received a special Tim Hetherington award (Tim Hetherington is a British-American photojournalist who died while covering the fighting in Libya in 2011). "Winner of the 2023 Tim Hetherington award - the film that most embodies the spirit and legacy of the journalist after whom it was named is a work of amazing courage and moral clarity, giving a touching context to familiar images", the jury noted.

The film 20 Days in Mariupol tells about the Russian attack on the city on February 24, 2022. Mstyslav Chernov, the cameraman, shows the evidence of 20 days of upcoming events: the bombing of houses and maternity hospitals, the lives of people in the besieged city, etc.

In January 2023, Chernov's film was shown in the competition program of Sundance, one of the largest independent film festivals.

The film was awarded with the audience award.

The other day, a documentary about Mariupol received two awards at Docudays human rights documentary film festival, including the main prize in the DOCU/Ukraine competition and the audience award.

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