The documentary film directed by Myroslav Chernov, titled "2000 Meters to Andriivka", is set to hit Ukrainian theaters and will be presented at several film festivals both in Ukraine and abroad, as reported by the director's team.
The film will be available for viewing starting on August 28.
"2000 Meters to Andriivka" will be showcased at the Mykolaichuk OPEN festival (Chernivtsi), the Romanian TIFF, The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and the British Sheffield Docs.
"When the world talks about what Ukraine should give up, which land to forget, and what sacrifices to make, I hope they will watch this film and remember two things.
The first is that Ukrainians want peace, but they will fight for their families and land to the end. And the second is that it's not about abstract meters, tens of thousands of kilometers.
It's about human lives and the blood of heroes. Ukrainians want peace, but they will fight to the end. This is not just about meters of land – it’s about human lives," Chernov stated during the Ukrainian premiere at the Docudays festival, calling for a moment of silence to honor the fallen.
After the film ended, the audience applauded the director and the soldiers of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, who are the main heroes, for over ten minutes.
The next international festivals for "2000 Meters to Andriivka" will be the Transilvania International Film Festival, The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF), and the Sheffield International Documentary Festival.
TIFF is the first, largest, and most renowned international film festival in Romania, held in Cluj-Napoca. It is also on the list of festivals accredited by FIAPF (the International Federation of Film Producers Associations), making it an important event for not only Romanian but also European and world cinema.
Sheffield Docs, taking place in Sheffield, UK, is one of the most notable and influential documentary film festivals in the UK and Europe. The international film festival in Karlovy Vary, KVIFF, is one of the most prestigious and oldest festivals in Central and Eastern Europe, with a high international status.
Another Ukrainian premiere of the film will take place on June 21 at the Mykolaichuk OPEN audience film festival, which will be held in Chernivtsi from June 14 to 21.
What is the film about
The film documents the events of September 2023 when the soldiers of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade fought to liberate the village of Andriivka near Bakhmut. The filmmakers captured every step of the operation.
Chernov worked on the project with the FRONTLINE team and Associated Press for nearly a year and a half. The team involved in creating the film includes photographer Oleksandr Babenko, producers Michelle Mizner and Raini Aronson-Rat.
The music for the film was composed by Grammy-winning composer and music producer Sam Slater ("Chernobyl", "Joker").
