Mstyslav Chernov on film "2000 meters to Andriivka"

A year of work, more than one hundred hours of footage, painful stories, and unforgettable heroism. The film "2000 Meters to Andriivka" tells not only about the war — it is about people who took up arms to defend their home.

Novyny.LIVE journalist Daria Nefiodova spoke exclusively with Oscar-winning director Mstyslav Chernov.

— Mstyslav, will you be submitting your film to the Oscars this year as well?

— The Ukrainian Oscar Committee has published the list of films submitted to represent Ukraine in the "International Film" category. All the films submitted are very important, all are worthy of representing Ukraine. Of course, it does not depend on me, but on the Oscar Committee, who exactly will represent Ukraine this year. And I wish everyone success. If we are honored to represent Ukraine, I think we will be able to do it with dignity — we already understand how it is done. We have the resources, and we are ready.

For Ukrainian documentary filmmaking, this is a golden year. It is a new wave of Ukrainian documentary cinema. And I believe that during wartime it is especially important for documentary films to represent Ukraine. We will also, of course, compete in the "Best Documentary Feature" category. We have already qualified for this category — we won the Docudays UA festival, which gives us the opportunity to submit and compete in this category as well.

It is hard and painstaking work — no less than making the film itself. Because it involves constant trips, presentations to the public and experts, endless screenings. But right now, it gives us the opportunity to present not only the film but also our country, its culture, and its society. After all, "2000 Meters to Andriivka" is not just a war film. It is a story about Ukrainian civilians who took up arms to defend their homes.

When I come to America, I see that such films are extremely needed now. For many in America and Europe, this war looks like a geopolitical conflict. They hear about it only from politicians, so it seems to be about spheres of influence, NATO, or global interests.

But in reality, it is an invasion into our home, into private property, into our lives. And when I explain to Americans: "Imagine you have a house. Suddenly your neighbor — a ruthless murderer — breaks in, trying to destroy your family. What will you do? You will defend your home." When they hear this comparison, they begin to understand that this war is not about politics, but about people’s lives. And then it becomes easier for them to see why Ukraine must be supported — why Ukrainians need not only sympathy but also help.

— How long did the editing of the film take?

— A year. Working with such material is extremely difficult, and we did not have all the footage right away. It is more than 100 hours of footage. Sometimes you need to leave the editing room for a minute, an hour, or a day — just to catch your breath. Because while watching this footage, you start to imagine yourself in the place of the heroes. And if it affects you so much on screen — imagine how it feels for those who lived through it.

And that is the hardest part. How to convey the real, painful, and at the same time heroic experience of soldiers on the battlefield in a way that does not look like a game or an action movie. You need to feel the material deeply. Michelle Meister, the editor of this film, who also edited "20 Days in Mariupol" with me — she did it. And it took us a year just to feel the material, to transfer the viewer into the memory of the soldiers who were there on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, many of our heroes died six months later while defending Avdiivka. And this also changed the film — it changed the narrative, it changed what the film is about. It became more about memory, not only about the heroic liberation of Andriivka, but also about remembering those who gave their lives.

— Which scene of the film became the most memorable for you?

— I will remind you that the whole film is built around a single forest strip. Everything we see in the film happens in one small tree line, squeezed between mined fields. Its length is 2000 meters. That is why it is called "2000 Meters to Andriivka."

At the end of this strip lies the village of Andriivka, which the 3rd Assault Brigade tries to liberate. It is a difficult task that takes several months, and we travel alongside this brigade. We walk with these soldiers, we see them, we see the battles through helmet cameras. Then we see standard-bearer Fedya carrying the flag into the liberated Andriivka. And we live through these three months together with them.

Throughout the film, we see different battles — battles that take place closer and closer to Andriivka. For me, perhaps the most emotional one was a battle we found in the archives, filmed before we arrived and started shooting. It opens the film — a ten-minute scene, absolutely incredible, filmed by a soldier named Piro.

It was so dramatic, so painful, so reflective of the reality that Ukrainian soldiers go through — a reality very similar to what soldiers experienced during the First and Second World Wars. So much so — I fear to use this word because this is not cinema but documentary — but it was so cinematic that when critics talk about it, they see reminders of great Hollywood films like "Saving Private Ryan" or "1917".

— Your message to the Ukrainian people. What would you like to say?

— I want to share what Fedya, the main character of "2000 Meters to Andriivka", told me when we met. Of course, we spoke about politics, about what is happening in the world, in negotiations, in politics. And he said that at this time, when we do not know who our friends are, who our enemies are, when politics goes its own way, it has finally become clear that the only ones we can rely on — are ourselves.

And the person standing next to you, the person supporting you in the rear — that is us, our society. Alone, we can do nothing. But together — together we can endure, regardless of whether the world supports us or not.

Only our society can endure and continue building statehood. This has become what keeps me going. I have long since run out of strength to continue walking, but it is precisely because I am surrounded by fantastic, brave people who keep fighting that I, too, have the strength to go on.