On Friday, the documentary “20 days in Mariupol” was shown, which depicts how the city of Mariupol was besieged and bombed to pieces at the beginning of the war. Journalists stuck in the city during the Russian siege have been filming.
“Iron Butterflies,” which premieres Sunday, tells the story of the shooting down of a Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Mstyslav Chernov. Risked his life
Mstyslav Chernov, a journalist who was in Mariupol when Russian troops attacked the port city in February and March 2021, says he hopes his stories from the city “hit deeper and harder” as a documentary than shorter news clips do.
Among other things, it shows how Chernov risks his life when he describes how a children’s and maternity hospital was bombed by Russian warplanes. You can also see how Chernov and his associates try to leave Mariupol to tell about what is happening there.
Chernov says the events in Mariupol highlighted how unrealistic Russia’s description of the war is. For example, Russian officials said that civilians were not targeted.
— You can see in the film how I keep asking people: “Doesn’t the Russian Federation target civilians?” And you see people reply: “Well, they do”.
Misinformation
“Iron butterflies” also highlights Russian disinformation in connection with the downing of the passenger plane MH17 over Ukraine. 298 people on board perished.
The film combines news clips and images from social media with intercepted military footage to show how the Russian explanation went from claiming that separatists had downed a Ukrainian military plane to blaming Kyiv for the deaths.
Director Roman Liubji says he tried to stay “scientific” and avoid getting angry when cutting the film, because he believes Russian propaganda is based on emotional impact.
No consequences
The film highlights how those convicted in absentia in a Dutch court of the incident are unlikely to serve any sentences.
— If the downing of a passenger plane does not have consequences for the killers, then it is difficult to imagine what will happen (in the future) – if the invasion will not have consequences, says Liubji.
A third film, “Klondike” from last year, is recognized at the festival. It revolves around life in a village caught in the middle of the air disaster of the downed passenger plane MH17.