20 Days in Mariupol documentary director honored by Directors Guild of America

Ukrainian director Mstyslav Chernov received the award of the Directors Guild of America (DGA Awards) for the documentary film 20 Days in Mariupol, announced the website of the award.

Chernov received the award for "outstanding directorial achievement in documentary". The picture 20 Days in Mariupol depicts the events in Mariupol surrounded by the Russian military in February-March 2022. In particular, it included footage of Russian shelling, mass burials and the bombing of a maternity hospital.

"I want to thank the DGA for this recognition. Although, unfortunately, we cannot stop the bullet or protect the child from the debris," Chernov said, adding that on the same day his hometown of Kharkiv was shelled by the Russian military.

Photographer Evgeniy Maloletka and producer and journalist Vasylisa Stepanenko were also involved in the creation of the film. All three received the Pulitzer Prize for their work in the besieged Mariupol.

In particular, 20 Days in Mariupol was nominated for the Oscar award in the "Best Documentary" category. The Directors Guild of America award is a "predator of success" at the "Oscars" and has not "guessed" the winner for best director just eight times in 75 years, writes Deadline.

For "outstanding directorial achievement in theatrical feature film" the award went to director Christopher Nolan for his film Oppenheimer. Director Celine Song was awarded for her directorial debut for the drama Past Lives.

In the television categories, Peter Hoar's The Last of Us won best dramatoc series, Sarah Adina Smith's Lessons in Chemistry won best miniseries, and Christopher Storer's The Bear won best comedy.

The presentation of the 76th award of the Directors Guild of America for outstanding directorial achievements in 2023 took place on Saturday in Los Angeles.