In ‘2000 Meters to Andriivka,’ Oscar winner takes viewers back to Ukraine’s frontlines

Park City, Utah (APP) – The day Missist Salav Chernov won Bafa for his documentary film “20 days in Maripol” It was the day that he learned two soldiers whom he knew was killed in the fight. They were the basic articles of their new movie “2000 meters from Andrewa,” A terrifying portrait of the modern war, which holds the audience at the locations in front of the 2023 Ukrainian counter office.

“The film turned into a way out of the way,” Chernov, a video journalist from the Associated Press last week, said after his premiere at the Syndrins Film Festival. “From a story of the success of this operation, this loss became the story of the price, the story of the price that the soldiers pay for each inch of the earth.

With a new movie, Park City, Utah, has been a serious, complete circle moment for Chernov. This is the place where he exhibited “20 days in Maripol” for the first time two years ago. Although he won a high honor of his work and a filmmaker awarded his work, Pultzer Rewards And a Online Includes, it is for reporting about a war in its home country that will not end and it cannot stop covering it.

The AP talked to Chirnov about “2000 meters Andrewka”, a joint production between the AP and PBS Frontline, the release of the film and the front lines as well as its responsibility for Ukraine. Academic dissatisfaction. Remarks for explanation and racism have been amended.

AP: In the syndrins two years ago, you wanted to return to Ukraine. Was it already in your mind that you wanted to show the soldiers?

Chernov: After leaving Maripol, I gave a lot of thought. Do I want to continue what I was doing? We felt a lot of shock and a lot of harm, even the crime, that we did not work enough. But then, you go through this tragedy, the tragedy of the people you are doing, it does not allow you to stop doing what you have to do. You always want to do more and you can’t really stop.

At every place of this trip, I was also editing “20 days in Maripol” and then screaming around the world. The reaction was great, but more I felt that the reaction and more I saw things were not changing, more I wanted to go back and continue shooting, and that’s what I did.

At some point of the summer of 2023, when Ukraine was extremely expected and very important ReciprocalWe also had the release of theater for “20 days in Maripol”. So from the LA, where in the Lammal Cinema, you will see “Barbie” And “Open Hymer” And while talking to the public “20 days in Maripol” and (then) the public, I will fly back to Poland, go to the frontline and start shooting for the film.

Andrewka’s story occupied me so much that I would go back and continue to follow the platoon. And the tragedy was that as much time passed, and more and more people we were initially filmed on the journey to Andreva.

AP: With ‘Maripol’ in ’20 days, you found yourself in situations and knew to continue shooting. Here, you know that you want to make a movie. How did you change what you were doing?

Chernov: Making “20 days in Maripol” and finally seeing its effects, how big the audience was, forced me to think that the effects of journalism met with the effects of documentary filmmaking and the effects of this combination. You can get it, if you can find it. The right balance between these two ways can be very powerful.

The shape of cinema is far more lasting than this news. As important journalism, unfortunately, many things are happening in the world, so important stories, that take extraordinary efforts to keep one’s attention to the story, especially if this story is for you Important. And the story of Andrewka and the soldiers who are trying to get there is personally very important to me.

AP: This film presents the audience on the frontline in a way that we are just accustomed to watching in fantasy combat films. How were it worth doing?

Chernov: Technology is changing. The audience is changing. Therefore, the source of the documentary that talks about important current events will also have to be changed. Being able to catch, we need to find new forms, for new ways to tell the story, of its new visual solution. The point is experimental. We are trying to show modern war as no one has done before or after. Of course there are elements that are classic for the documentary, but I also wanted the story to be so derogatory, so on earth, so experienced for the audience, they forget that they made a narrative fiction. Watching a movie or a documentary. Then when they arrive at the end of the movie, when they realize that what they just saw was real, it would kill them even more severe.

AP: You have made great speeches to Oscar all the time. When you took this step, was Andreva heavy in your mind?

Chernov: I was thinking of all the boys, yes, When I was on stage. There were a lot of things happening in this background when we were sitting with all the movie stars in this beautiful place and they were watching the speeches they were giving.

I received hundreds of messages from people who were telling me what to say on the stage, all are important. I had a feeling that 40 million Ukraine residents, if I was lucky to go to this stage, I would be looking at me and every word that would be said. Here is a responsibility, journalism is the responsibility of journalism and for me to be Ukraine, it is the responsibility of the people of Maripol and the responsibility of these soldiers that I have been filming for almost a year by then.

AP: All of this means from home friends, Ukrainian people?

Chernov: After the premiere, we have received a lot of messages on social media or just comments that making such a movie is so timely when there are no reports, either from a journalist or a military point of view. Documentary film. Partially because interest has moved somewhere. Partially because of the drone it has become impossible to work in the frontline, because of how many exact and deadly weapons are there and because journalists have become targets.

I think people are just grateful for this. They say, thank you for showing this view and thank you for reminding the world about Ukraine, that this is not just a political chip in bargaining, that these are the real people. And that’s what we have to keep in mind, that they are real people. These are not numbers and not distances.