Mstislav Chernov’s new film “2000 meters to Andriyivka” will be released in Ukrainian. The page, which tells about the routes of the Third Assault Brigade to the village of Bel Bakhmut, separated from the Ukrainian positions by two kilometers of replaced afforestation, was selected as an official candidate Ukraine is nominated for an Oscar in the category “Largest international long-form film” in 2026. Vogue.ua publishes a great interview with the director.
Text: Alex Malishenko
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In 20 years, Mstislav Chernov went from a local media photographer to an Oscar and Pulitzer Prize winner. This line “20 days at Mariupol”, which won the first Oscar for Ukraine, has become one of the leading films of 2023. The new robot has already been dubbed the most important picture of fate.
“2000 meters to Andriyivka” is a tense military action film that shows one of the episodes of the counterattack with the participation of the Third Assault Brigade. This is a master picture, as a vikoryst cinematic toolkit, in order to once again capture the names and images of the military people who sacrifice and sacrifice their lives for the Ukrainian land. It turns out that even a small village has been completely destroyed.
Film critic Alex Malishenko, having talked with Mstislav about intimate speeches – seems to be a mistake, because it doesn’t work, there was tension and introversion, like you have to pay for the viewer. And, of course, about the people who became the heroes of the film and made this film possible.
With the new robot, you will be on the front line, at the very center of the battles. This proximity to the front has already become, so to speak, a brand for overseas spies. What does it mean for your audience to understand?
I sense the guilt that things are not calm at the front. Therefore, the opportunity to go and be there, to earn something that is significant, to explain what the Ukrainian military is going through at the same time, is an honor for me, not a fear. It is possible to feel less guilty for those who, unfortunately, are not enough for this war to end. We are all timid, but everyone has a feeling that we are not timid enough.
My brand has been formed, and at the same time, the director is at fault. I myself am a director who makes military films. Aside from this war, in Ukraine there is a lot of history and speeches that need to be told. She has different prospects: not only the prospect of military operations or the suffering of civilians, and we want to know about them.
“20 days at Mariupol” is a film by Zhakhiv. Hire for me. This is how we approached it until now: we looked for the composer from the films of Zhakhiv, and we followed history like a mountain. “2000 meters to Andriivka” – action. I wanted to make a film in a different genre, to find a new audience, so that the film would focus on the theme of Ukraine and the Russian invasion, as well as those on the theme of war, historical films, action sequence.
Expanding and changing the genre helps expand the audience. So I’ll tell you for sure that the upcoming film will be in a different genre. I don’t want to be perceived as anything other than a war movie director.
In “20 days near Mariupol” one of the main characters has a place, and in “2000 meters to Andriivka”, for example, people become the center of the story. The skin of the region, as a result of which it thickens, gains volume, history, characteristics, and we get closer to them. How did you put yourself in this mess and how did you save the connections from it?
We became acquainted with the Third Assault and began to joke about their heroes in the hour of counterattack, but it was not the first bastard with whom we had been working. I began a counterattack, starting to take out a number of brigades in parallel. The first version of the film was based on a group of children who were fighting on different fields at the front. Here is a broader look at the story of Fedya (platoon commander of the 3rd assault brigade, one of the main characters in the film. – Ed.) and his brothers-in-arms, those who know this landing on the map, as we know to Andriyivka, they gave me an understanding that from the point of view of dramaturgy – even a clear goal at the end of the film and dramatic arc – the most beautiful. We concentrated on them and stayed with them until the end.
After they called Andriivka, I, and Alex (Alex Babenko, Associated Press photographer and another cameraman on the film. – Ed.) continued to talk with them, continued to take pictures. It’s a pity that the actors were already at the funeral of the main heroes. And these days – under the hour of other operations: near the Kharkov region, in Avdiivtsi.
Of course, you can’t be a tourist. This film could easily be presented in the form of interviews in safe locations and footage from GoPro and drones. It's a good film. I'm wondering how you can install it. However, what kind of smells one has to go through, what expenses one has to bear, and what sacrifices one has to make – all of it is impossible to adequately and ethically disclose without having acquired a few tens of steps from them. I can’t even say that there’s a problem in which I and Alex are next to them, even though there’s a little bit of that trouble that stinks go through every day. If I have sensed what the military senses, I can freely speak about them. I have the moral right to talk about their suffering, sacrifices, the incredible power of absurd optimism and against.
In the trenches, it’s not the cameraman or the director who comes to film, you just talk to people, record conversations. And when a shell explodes, a drone hangs overhead, when everyone in the trench knows that you can die at any moment, but it’s like nothing else. You go out and make friends.
Having thought about the change in genre, the new film is a action film. It’s all the same, that “20 days at Mariupol”, that “2000 meters to Andriivka” – these are the lines about what they say: “important film”, “important film”, “you will be important, but you will not marvel”…
There is no great advertising for cinema – to say that it is impossible to marvel, but it is required.
After all, all your films are like this.
How many people came up to me and said: “I don’t like “20 days at Mariupol”, but such an important film that you deserve.”
How did you come to terms with this fact that your robots only accept this? Have you ever thought about “light” cinema?
Marvel, before the installation of “2000 meters to Andriivka” we came with the understanding that we wanted to expand the audience. I respect that it is not as important to marvel as “20 days…”. This one is more dynamic, and has less gluttony. We wanted people to enjoy the trailer, to feel that for some it was similar to “The Saving of Private Ryan” or “No Changes on the Western Front.”
I would love to take comedy and, perhaps, when the time comes, they will be removed. And I will repeat again: we are working on a film that is completely different.
If you continue to make films about the war, and even in the comedy genre, I think you will be even more rich.
Of course, I don’t pretend that I want to make comedies about war. I want this war to end. I want to stop thinking about this war. I want everyone to be alive. I'm tired of freaking out and afraid to open my phone, Facebook, or messenger and see notifications from my friends, acquaintances, and colleagues who haven't woken up today, in Kiev, Kharkov, Dnipro, Ikam Another ballistic missile has landed in another Ukrainian city. I'm tired, I don't want anything. Well, of course, I will make a movie about the war, and so, I will be known as a director who only makes a movie about the war, while the war is going on. And then, so, nature, National Geographic. Fiction I want to make a fiction film. And for whom the hour has come.
You only know about Ukraine, which has already dedicated 11 years to this war. How strong is your connection with the country? Can I call you a patriot?
I have filmed not only in Ukraine – in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Gaza, Karabas. I'm not just a literalist. Of course, I will return to Ukraine first. Of course, I will soon return to Ukraine. This is the main priority of my work. This is my home. This is the call for tomorrow.
And for the sake of true patriotism, it lies in the fact that you should work for your own strength. For the community in which you live. This is important to me.
This is an important time for Ukrainian cinema. Not only to the fact that everything is happening in the minds of military operations, but also to the fact that they obviously saw the decline of the Radian cinema. It’s amazing to see the arthouse that is produced in the Baltic countries and neighboring Europe – they are still under the influence of its tradition. We were so inspired by this. We want to move forward, develop our language, so that we can talk about our life, our land and power with those of ours. That’s how we want to imitate the Ukrainian and pretend to be the Russian one. It's important. Because cinema is a cultural tradition, as fate will be. We will be in pain, tragedy, war, loss. And we also need to talk about something else, not just about war, but about love, friendship, maturity, existential themes. For all this you need Shukati Mova.
How, in your opinion, would you be relevant to the new generation of directors?
I have always been tired of those who want to work – once again I am not equal to the master who I look up to – Guillermo del Toro. While working in Hollywood, he constantly returns home to Mexico and simply talks to students. This is not master class, this is not lessons. This is a dialogue between generations, between readers and students, people addicted to the cinema. I'm still breathing.
But I’m scared if someone comes up to me (that’s what happened) and says: “Mstislava, I marveled at your films and saw the status of: a) a military journalist; b) a director; c) wanting to go to the front.” I say: “Be kind, let’s just do this so that they don’t kill you there. Because this will be my credibility.” I hope it won’t be as intense.
What particularly bothers you? Have you lost everything yet?
No, I don’t win. We all suffered physically, but not morally. Nathnennya is forever. The decal just doesn’t have enough strength. It’s interesting that tension can come as a result of injury. If you bear a tragedy, by becoming aware of it, you can transform all your creativity. Tse pershe.
And what about the binding you're wearing?
So. I say again – it’s not a commitment to some abstract idea, but it’s a commitment to those you love: to friends, to your companions, to people who stand shoulder to shoulder with you.
I understand that you are a workaholic. Would you prefer to get involved – is that possible for you?
No, but I’m already tired of figuring out what’s wrong. For those decals I feel good. Not for an hour. I remember the moment when we were winning BAFTA from London. Tse buv cob 2024. In those days, a new thing came that they killed Kobzar (one of the fighters-heroes of the film, who died in battle. – Ed.). I remember it’s a shame that I’m there, but no one else is there. I remember when we came on stage, and I said at the very end: Let’s keep fighting (“Let’s keep fighting.” — Author’s note), because of which I later had problems with editors, because the expression was not neutral enough. Ale tse those, what I was thinking about. I was also thinking about Kobzar, about Gagarin (one of the heroes of the film, who died in battle – Ed.), about others whom we knew. What will happen to you from now on is that you need to work steadily. Because the stench is most important for those who hold their life dear to you. Kharkov does not immediately compensate for the fact that the Third Assault and Fedya stand near the Kharkov region and defend the place. Other brigades do the same. So how can I not feel guilty about telling a little happiness that I’m being trampled on?
The interviews you give, trips to different countries at festivals – is this also part of the work and is it all about satisfaction?
Robot. This is definitely not Marnoslavism. I am an introvert, for me it is extremely important to work: go on stage, say something, talk to the audience, give ten interviews a day and do so in such a way that the international press registers enthusiasm. This is an important topic, and because of the weariness, it is necessary to talk about it to those who are passionate about it. It’s not mine. I don't want anything. Ale tse parta roboti v kino. In today's world, it is not enough to simply learn the material – you need to make a movie. It’s not enough to just make a movie – it’s necessary for it to reach the peeps. But it is not enough for it to simply reach the peeps – it is necessary that it be understood and correctly interpreted. І skin croc, skin rose, skin trip – part of this work.
