From the shortened international TV version of the 96th Academy Awards, the organisers cut the Best Feature Documentary nomination, which was won by the film 20 Days in Mariupol by Ukrainian director Mstislav Chernov.
This was reported by Kommersant Ukrainian
with reference to Suspilne, which broadcast the ceremony.
Thus, on 11 March, at 20:30, the international abridged version was scheduled to be broadcast on Suspilne Culture TV channel. However, after receiving the materials from the organisers, it turned out that there was no award for Ukrainian documentary filmmakers.
“Our team was shocked and deeply disappointed when we did not see the nomination for Best Feature Documentary in the international version, where the film 20 Days in Mariupol was awarded. Mstislav Chernov’s powerful speech underlined the unity between Ukraine and the world, which makes it all the more disappointing to see this episode full of truth and power excluded from the version distributed to the global Oscar licensees,” said Lukian Galkin, executive producer of Suspilne Culture TV channel.
He also reminded that last year, the same nomination, in which the documentary about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny won, was given a place in a shortened version, as well as for a political speech by his wife Yulia Navalny.
Instead of the abridged version, Suspilne will show the full version for Ukrainian viewers, which was broadcast live on the night of 11 March.
The film 20 Days in Mariupol tells the story of the 20 days that director Mstislav Chernov spent with his colleagues in besieged Mariupol at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On the 21st day of the war, the journalists left Mariupol through the humanitarian corridor. At the end of the film, a text appears stating that the city was fully occupied by Russia after 86 days.
The film won the Audience Award for Best Foreign Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival and the BAFTA Award.