Congratulations to the creators of "20 Days in Mariupol" for winning best documentary. The film reveals a ghostly city landscape. Where were all the civilians? They were hiding underground. What was it like for the masses to live in basements without water, food, or heat? How did they handle having to sleep beside corpses? If you want to know more, I encourage you to read "Escape from Mariupol: A Survivor's True Story." —Anne K. Howard
The city of Mariupol has become a focal point for narratives that capture the essence of human resilience in the face of adversity. One work, "20 Days in Mariupol" by Mstyslav Chernov, won an Academy Award in the Documentary Feature Film category.
In the wake of the Academy Awards on March 10, we invite you to take a look at ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL: A Survivor's True Story by Anne K. Howard and Ukrainian refugee Adoriana Marik for the distinct perspective on the same harrowing events it offers.
These two compelling works share a common setting and overarching theme. Yet, the differences in their storytelling techniques, mediums, and artistic interpretations create a unique tapestry of experiences for the audience.
Here are the top three differences between the book and the Oscar-winning film:
- The Point of View
In the film 20 Days in Mariupol, you follow a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in Mariupol trying to document the harrowing Russian invasion. These professionals focus not only on the siege and the civilians caught in it but also on being a journalist in an area of conflict and the impact that has on journalism worldwide.
The memoir ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL focuses on one brave woman and her will to survive. It takes you through the start of the invasion, how she experienced it, how she hid, and how she escaped.
- Visuals
A key distinction between the two works lies in their method of storytelling. "20 Days in Mariupol" utilizes images and videos to bring its narrative to life, offering a direct visual representation of events. Conversely, ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL relies on rich, detailed prose to vividly depict Marik's experiences. This approach allows Howard and Marik to craft a deeply immersive narrative, engaging readers' imaginations to visualize the events as they unfold.
"20 Days in Mariupol" leverages the power of visual media, with images and videos providing a direct window into the events, capturing the eerie silence of deserted streets and the rare clusters of survivors. This visual approach raises questions: if 130,000 individuals were estimated to have fled at the beginning of the invasion, where were the remaining 300,000 that either stayed or fled later?
On the other hand, ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL delves into the personal ordeal of survival through the written word, offering a compelling narrative of endurance and resilience. Adoriana Marik's harrowing account of living in a basement shelter for weeks reveals the desperate conditions faced by many. The narrative details how survivors congregated in these makeshift refuges, how the loss of one shelter meant the overcrowding of another and the grim realities of surviving on scant rations of food and water amidst the constant threat of dehydration and the heartbreak of loss. This prose invites readers into the intimate spaces of human suffering and resilience, painting a vivid picture of life under siege that complements the visual story told by "20 Days in Mariupol.
- The Experience
Marik's account begins with the jarring disruption of an explosion, which shattered her sense of security and marked the beginning of a relentless struggle for survival. "ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL" offers an immersive dive into her quest for safety amidst the commotion of war-torn streets and the relentless wail of sirens, capturing the persistent echo of explosions that penetrated even the supposed sanctuary of shelters, day and night, for endless weeks.
Contrastingly, "20 Days in Mariupol" presents a thought-provoking perspective from Mstyslav Chernov, who reflects on the deceptive calm that precedes conflict, encapsulated in the quote, "Someone once told me, wars don't start with explosions; they start with silence." This statement suggests a starkly different initiation of war, one that is eerily quiet and insidiously creeping, setting a contrasting backdrop to Marik's experience of sudden and violent upheaval.
In conclusion, both narratives offer invaluable insights into the enduring spirit of humanity amidst the ravages of conflict in Mariupol. Through the lens of cinema and the depth of written word, they weave together a complex fabric of resilience, courage, and the objective truth of war's brutality. "20 Days in Mariupol" and "ESCAPE FROM MARIUPOL" are poignant reminders of the varied facets of human experience during extreme adversity, each contributing to our understanding and empathy in profoundly different ways.
For more conversation and information about the two tellings, visit Anne K. Howard's blog here, https://annekhowardauthor.com/blog/, for her three-part series.
