Three Ukrainian films that earned nominations for Oscar in different years

Ukrainian movies have been nominated three times in the awards’ 95-year history. All of them competed in the Best Documentary Feature Film category. NV reveals which films from Ukraine have had the opportunity to receive the coveted golden statue

20 days in Mariupol

2023

The first film exclusively from Ukraine to be nominated in the Best Documentary Feature Film category is by Ukrainian director Mstyslav Chernov. The movie depicts the brutal siege of Mariupol by Russian troops in February-March 2022.

Its creators include Ukrainian journalists and representatives of the international news agency Associated Press: videographer Mstyslav Chernov, photographer Yevhen Maloletka, and field producer Vasylisa Stepanenko. They were the only journalists with international accreditation who remained in the city surrounded by Russian invaders, capturing the horrors of the invasion despite being hunted by Russian soldiers. Despite the risks, they managed to leave the city through a green corridor with all the footage intact.

The film made history by winning the first BAFTA Award for Best Documentary in Ukrainian cinema and earning director Mstyslav Chernov an American Directors Guild Award. It premiered in Ukraine in August 2023 and was shown again in cinemas in January and February 2024, although it is currently unavailable for viewing in theaters.

A House Made of Splinters

2022

The documentary, co-produced by Ukraine, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, is directed by Simon Lereng Wilmont. Filmed between 2019 and 2020, it focuses on the events of the Russian-Ukrainian war in the East, specifically in the unoccupied front-line city of Lysychansk.

The film portrays children living temporarily apart from their parents in the Lysychansk Social and Psychological Rehabilitation Center, along with their teachers striving to create a peaceful environment in this conflict-affected region.

Although competing for the golden statue in the Best Documentary Feature Film category in March 2023, the jury favored a film about Russian opposition leader Aleksey Navalny over this documentary.

Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

2015

The documentary directed by Yevhen Afineevsky was produced by Ukraine, the USA, and the UK with the assistance of the Netflix streaming platform. It premiered worldwide on Sept. 3, 2015, at the Venice Film Festival. The film chronicles the 93-day period of the winter of 2013-2014, capturing the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity events. It features interviews with individuals who participated in Kyiv’s Independence Square and footage from the scene of the events.

Afineevsky was inspired to create the documentary after a conversation with a friend who urged him to document these significant events. The film involved the participation of 20 amateur cameramen. It is available for viewing on the Netflix platform.

Although nominated for an Oscar in 2016, it was surpassed by the documentary “Amy,” directed by Asif Kapadia, which delves into the life and death of singer Amy Winehouse, in the Best Documentary Feature Film category.