'Hiding from bombs, running for my life': new film gives unflinching account of a reporter's life in Mariupol

Still from new documentary film '20 days in Mariupol', which depicts the early days of Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Supplied) Source: Supplied

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"20 Days in Mariupol" is a film featuring a first-person account of the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The film has been described as an unflinching, anguishing account of the 20 days the Ukrainian-born director and his colleagues spent covering Mariupol as Russian troops attacked the city.

The film draws on Chernov’s daily news dispatches and personal footage of his own country at war. It offers a vivid, harrowing account of civilians caught in the siege, as well as a window into what it’s like to report from a conflict zone, and the impact of such journalism around the globe.

The film was included in the competition of Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition category and won Audience Award in World Cinema Documentary category.

The film has received widespread praise, with the Hollywood Reporter saying there has 'rarely been a film like it', and the Los Angeles Times describing it as 'haunting, riveting and vitally important'. Movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave it an unusually high approval rating of 100 per cent.