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The film "20 Days in Mariupol" was screened in Nigeria

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The screening of the Academy Award-nominated documentary 20 Days in Mariupol took place in Abuja, Nigeria, on the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, to show Nigerians the truth about Russia's war crimes.

On the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, screenings of the Oscar-nominated documentary 20 Days in Mariupol are taking place around the world, UNN reports.

The documentary by a team of Ukrainian journalists tells the story of the siege of Mariupol in 2022. They continued to work in the city surrounded by Russian troops and captured footage that later became defining images of the war.

It was the first time that the film 20 Days in Mariupol was screened in West Africa. The event was attended by representatives of the Ukrainian community, the foreign diplomatic corps, representatives of Nigerian administrative and business circles, and the Nigerian media.

The Ukrainian correspondent talked to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Nigeria Ivan Holostenko, and the organizers of the film's screening: representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Olena Nadryhailo and head of film projects at Razom Cinema in the United States Polina Buchak. A Swedish official in Nigeria and a representative of the Nigerian government also shared their impressions of the film.

"Our task is to show people the truth" - Ivan Kholostenko

Ambassador of Ukraine to Nigeria Ivan Kholostenko said that this was not the first such event during his tenure in Nigeria. Exactly a year ago, the embassy organized a screening of the movie "Superpower," a documentary by American director Sean Penn about Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, according to Kholostenko, 20 Days in Mariupol is a much deeper work that immerses you in the events of the first days of the great war.

I believe that the world should know what is happening in our country, and we should tell them who is to blame. Sometimes, unfortunately, we can hear voices saying that Ukraine should stop fighting. When I hear this from Nigerians, for example, I always have a very simple answer. I say: okay, we agree to stop it, but only after the evil is punished. We didn't start this war, so how can we talk about ending it, and most importantly, with whom? 

- he says.

According to the Ukrainian diplomat, such events help to combat Russian propaganda. The embassy plans to continue to conduct educational work, to talk about Russian crimes against humanity and the genocide of the Ukrainian people.

All of these people who came to the screening today will share their impressions with their friends, family, and colleagues after the screening. The more people know the truth, the better. We are not going to stop there, we plan to organize more than just film screenings. We will look for other ways to bring the truth to the Nigerian community and the world community

- he said. 

From left to right: Tetyana Buchak, representative of the Ukrainian community in Nigeria, Polina Buchak, coordinator of the Razom for Ukraine project, Ivan Kholostenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Nigeria with his wife, Svein Baer, Ambassador of Norway to the Federal Republic of Nigeria

How we managed to realize the idea of screening the film in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria

The film was screened thanks to the cooperation of the Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria with Olena Nedryhailo, a representative of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Nigeria, and Polina Buchak, a Ukrainian producer, director, and coordinator of the Razom Cinema project (from Razom for Ukraine) in the United States.

We spoke with Polina Buchak, a Ukrainian who lived in Nigeria for 6 years and now works in New York as a film project manager at Razom for Ukraine. Initiatives such as screenings of Ukrainian films have been actively implemented in the United States in recent years. 

According to Polina Buchak, one of the foundation's goals is to invite Americans to learn about Ukrainian culture through film. So, when the chance arose to organize a screening of a documentary about Mariupol in Nigeria, Buchak joined forces with the Ukrainian community in Nigeria and the Ukrainian Embassy.

We chose this film because it tells the truth, the pure truth without filters, without bias. Mstislav Chernov, Yevhen Malolietka, Vasilisa Stapanenko (the film's creators - ed.) made the choice to stay in Mariupol when all the press had already left. It was their mission to tell us what was happening there. Without them, we would never have known this truth, and then Russia would have had a chance to distort the history of Mariupol through its propaganda. "20 Days in Mariupol" creates a space where we can all come together and feel. Yes, we already had these emotions when we saw photos or video reports from the news, but the film shows it through a new, broader prism. At one of the screenings, I met Mstyslav Chernov and his team, and through the work of the Razom for Ukraine Foundation, I joined the distributors' efforts to distribute the film in America. Finally, I was able to show it here in Abuja.

- she notes. 

Olena Nedrygaylo, a representative of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Nigeria, said that the screening was a joint effort of the Ukrainian community and the Ukrainian Embassy.

We chose a cinema, found a communicator with the distributor, and were able to officially screen the film here. Later on, we even changed the screening room, because more people promised to come than we expected. The community of Ukrainians in Nigeria is small, there are up to 40 of us here, but we need to be heard. We did everything on the principle of doing our best where we are. If every Ukrainian, wherever he or she is, does his or her best to tell the world about Ukraine, the whole world will know more about us. History is made by individuals. Everywhere you go, you can find resources to popularize Ukrainian and thus help your country

- she says. 

"We should not be silent after the movie, we should speak" - this was the slogan of the screening in Abuja

Prior to the screening, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Nigeria H.E. Mr. Ivan Holostenko addressed the diplomats and representatives of Nigerian government and business circles. He noted that 2 years ago Russia launched unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine, so for 2 years Ukraine has been fighting for freedom and a better future for Ukrainian children.

These 730 days of full-scale war are 2 years of sadness and destroyed cities and human lives. At the same time, these are 2 years of strength, courage and bravery of Ukrainians. And now, we will see a movie about 20 days of life in a city that was under siege for almost three months. Is it a lot or a little for people who were threatened by terror, uncertainty and hopelessness day after day? Just imagine it, and then, while watching the movie, compare your feelings and imagination

- he pointed out. 

Polina Buchak also moderated the screening. She said that until February 24, Mariupol was a beautiful oasis of southeastern Ukraine on the coast of the Azov Sea. However, two years ago, Russia destroyed and occupied the city.

As we sit here, Mariupol no longer exists, it has been razed to the ground by Russia. The city witnessed many deaths and now it is in ruins. "20 Days in Mariupol" is the first Ukrainian documentary to be nominated for an Oscar and the first to win a BAFTA (British Film Award - ed.). The events of Mariupol are filmed with the sound of explosions. We must not be silent after this movie, we must speak out, this is the most important thing

- she said. 

Impressions of the movie

After the screening, the room was silent. Afterwards, Ambassador Ivan Holosenko addressed the audience and thanked everyone not only for their presence, but also for joining us in sharing this evening with Ukraine.

The emotions from the film were so strong that it was difficult for the foreign representatives to express their impressions in words.

Mary-Ann, a representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Nigeria, emphasized that this film is an opportunity for everyone to see what really happened in Ukraine.

When you see all this evidence of what happened in Ukraine, it is very moving. I was most impressed by the story of parenthood in the movie, the stories of mothers who saved children. What we see in the media is only a general picture. In the movie, you see the moment when a mother loses her child in her arms. We pray and hope that this war will end as soon as possible

- she said. 

Fredrik Osberg, Head of the Political and Trade Section of the Embassy of Sweden in the Republic of Nigeria, said that he could not hold back tears during the movie.

It's hard to put emotions into words, as I think you can understand. This scene shows how doctors tried to save the child's life, but to no avail. The way the parents reacted to the death of their son... The people who made this movie are real heroes

-  he said.

Lilia Podolyak

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