I’m not entirely comfortable suggesting this disturbing documentary as essential viewing, given its intensity. Still, it's a film that needs to be experienced for its story’s truth to truly come into focus. Journalist-writer-director Mstyslav Chernov and his team didn't anticipate the situation they would encounter when documenting the initial phase of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia. Operating from Mariupol, a port city on the Black Sea, they recorded shocking scenes of constant Russian attacks, specifically the enemy's merciless targeting of civilians—despite promises that such actions wouldn’t occur. Simultaneously, Russia attempted to dismantle Ukrainian communication networks to suppress information about these events, significantly complicating Chernov and his colleagues’ work as the only international journalists remaining in the devastated country. As Mariupol was methodically leveled, the rest of the world had limited insight into what was happening there, relying primarily on distorted claims from Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, when images from the front lines eventually emerged from Ukraine, they presented a completely different view of the devastation, despite Russia’s unbelievable insistence that everything captured in photographs was fabricated, similar to something you might see during movie production. This reporting brought awareness to the world, initially through news reports and now through this film, a collaboration between the Associated Press and the PBS series Frontline. The film doesn't shy away from anything, making it an extremely tough watch for most viewers, even those who usually aren’t affected by such graphic content. Nevertheless, it truthfully shows what Ukrainians faced during that terrible siege, exposing the war crimes of the aggressor for everyone to witness. Furthermore, this presentation highlights the critical role of courageous journalists working under incredibly difficult circumstances—especially when those causing destruction are desperate to prevent facts from being revealed. This widely praised film – which has garnered considerable recognition and awards – may be hard to endure, but uncovering the truth is often a demanding process, and both Ukraine and the world should appreciate that there are individuals willing to risk themselves to ensure it happens, regardless of how perilous or overwhelming conditions become.

Source on TMDB