“20 days in Mariupol” became the record holder for views on Ukrainian streaming

A frame from the film “20 days in Mariupol”

Oscar-winning documentary “20 days in Mariupol” set a record for views on Ukrainian streaming platforms in the first weekend, Forbes Ukraine reports.

According to the press services of Megogo, “Kyivstar TV”, Takflix and Volia TV, the film “20 days in Mariupol” collected a record number of views among documentaries.

On Megogo, the film became the leader in the overall rating of films, and 21 thousand users got access to the tape.

“Such a result speaks of the deep respect of Ukrainians for the film team, the desire to celebrate and support the domestic cinematography“, said the Megogo marketing manager Valery Tolochyna.

In the Takflix service, “20 days in Mariupol” set an absolute record for views in the entire history of streaming. The specific number of views is not mentioned, but it was noted that the film surpassed the tapes “My thoughts are quiet” Antonio Lukic and “Singing Ivano-Frankivsk Teplocommunergo” Nadia Parfan.

The same conclusions were voiced on “Kyivstar TV”, where the tape overtook Ukrainian and foreign popular tapes. In the first days of its release on streaming – from March 21 to 24 – on “Kyivstar TV” and Volia TV, “20 days in Mariupol” was in the top of the views. On the last service, the film collected five times more views compared to all other tapes of the online cinema.

In 2023, the tape became the highest-grossing documentary film in Ukraine – it collected UAH 500,000 only for the first rental weekend.

“Best Documentary Film” at the Oscars 2024

Awarding of the film “20 days in Mariupol” is not included in the abbreviated international television version of the “Oscar” ceremony. It lasts 90 minutes – certain categories and parts of the show could not be included due to time constraints. Disney Entertainment explained that the selection of nominations for the shortened version was determined several weeks ago during the planning process for the broadcast of the ceremony.

“20 days in Mariupol” – the first Ukrainian film in history, which received Oscar

“I wish I had never made this film, never appeared on this stage, and I wish Russia had not attacked Ukraine. If I could exchange the award for Russia not to occupy our cities, not to kill tens of thousands of my compatriots…“, from the stage turned to director Mstislav Chernov to the audience.

After appeals from Ukrainian television and radio broadcasters, the Disney company changed its decision and obliged to add film to the international 90-minute version.

The documentary film was edited on the basis of materials that Chernov and a team of Associated Press photojournalists took in Mariupol besieged by the Russians and sent to the world media, telling about the terrible events in the city: the deaths of children and adults, the creation of mass graves, the maternity hospital destroyed by a Russian aerial bomb, and other Russian military events crimes

The tape became the highest-grossing documentary film in Ukraine last year – it collected UAH 500,000 in the first weekend of release alone.