The 96th Oscars international broadcast faced criticism in Ukraine for excluding the segment announcing the documentary feature award, won by Mstyslav Chernov’s 20 Days in Mariupol.
The documentary, a collaboration between The Associated Press and PBS’s Frontline, offers a harrowing first-person account set in the Ukrainian port city during Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, the exclusive Oscars broadcaster in the country, expressed shock and disappointment at the omission of the best feature documentary category in the international version, where 20 Days in Mariupol rightfully won. Lukian Halkin, executive producer of Suspilne Kultura TV channel, made this statement.
Condensed show version
Disney, the official international licensing agent for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, made decisions in advance on which parts and categories to exclude in the condensed version of the show.
International licensees receive both the live and a 90-minute broadcast version produced by the film academy. The shortened version, which includes a recap of the cut winners like 20 Days in Mariupol, is preferred by international broadcasters, according to Disney. However, Suspilne is airing the unedited cut for Ukrainian viewers instead of the condensed version.
Halkin expressed disappointment at the exclusion of Chernov’s impactful speech emphasizing unity between Ukraine and the world from the global version distributed to Oscar licensees. The film academy has not commented on the decision to cut the documentary category.
‘A victory of truth over falsehood’
The edited version also received criticism on social media in Ukraine, where the documentary’s Academy Award win was celebrated as a bittersweet but crucial victory.
Oleksii Kurka from Kyiv praised Ukraine’s first Oscar win and the exposure of Russian army atrocities in Mariupol as a triumph of truth over lies.
The AP team of Chernov, Maloletka, and Stepanenko documented the horrors in Mariupol during Russia’s invasion, showcasing civilian casualties, mass graves, bombed hospitals, and widespread devastation.
Chernov, Mizner, and Aronson-Rath received statuettes for the documentary. Chernov vowed to preserve the truth and memories of Mariupol’s victims on the Oscar stage.
