Mstyslav Chernov's follow-up to his Oscar winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol is just as harrowing. In 2000 Meters in Andriivka, Chernov films Ukranian soldiers as they battle to take back control of a Ukrainian village from Russian forces. (Frontline PBS via CBC News)
In the powerful documentary 2000 Meters to Andriivka, filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov immerses us deep inside Ukraine’s ongoing nightmare. The film, premiering in Canada at Hot Docs on April 27, offers an unflinching look at the front lines of the Russia-Ukraine war. And it doesn’t hold back.
A New Chapter from an Oscar-Winning Director
Chernov, known for the Oscar-winning 20 Days in Mariupol, once again embeds himself with Ukrainian soldiers. But this time, his lens captures a specific and brutal mission — the push to reclaim a tiny village called Andriivka.
Strapped with cameras, sometimes even on soldiers’ helmets, Chernov documents their every move. It's not just a story. It’s a living, breathing confrontation with death.
Why Andriivka Matters
Andriivka isn’t a major city. It has fewer than 100 residents and little strategic glamour. But it holds tactical value. Capturing it would cut off Russian supply routes — a move that could reshape control in the region.
As the film begins, Russian forces control the village. What follows is a harrowing struggle to reclaim it, inch by inch, tree by tree.
No Filters, Just War
The film starts with a firefight. It’s raw, violent, and horrifying. We see bullets fly, bodies fall, and lives end. There are no cinematic flourishes. No background scores. Just reality, recorded without mercy.
Chernov does not shy away from death. In one chilling moment, a young Ukrainian soldier, Gagarin, is shown firing — then suddenly collapsing. The camera doesn’t look away. Neither can we.
An assault unit commander from the 3rd Assault Brigade who goes by the call sign 'Fedia' raises the Ukrainian flag as a symbol of liberation of the frontline village of Andriivka in Ukraine on Sept. 16, 2023. Photographer Alex Babenko was the co-producer and a cinematographer for 2000 Meters to Andriivka. (The Associated Press)
The Ethics of Witnessing Death
Is it ethical to show this? That question lingers throughout. Viewers see soldiers from both sides killed, some in real-time, others moments before or after. There’s no glory, no triumph — just devastation.
It’s hard not to compare this to Alex Garland’s Warfare, another recent war film. But while Garland claimed to strip away narrative for realism, Chernov shows that even the rawest footage cannot replicate true wartime horror.
The Struggle Behind the Lens
Chernov’s presence isn’t hidden. He’s there, narrating in a calm, almost broken tone — a voice shaped by trauma. He interviews soldiers. Some speak of hope. Others admit they have no idea why they’re fighting.
A captured Russian soldier stares blankly. He doesn’t know what the mission is. Others recall home as a memory lost — villages reduced to rubble, familiar places turned into mass graves.
Mstyslav Chernov, director of 2000 Meters to Andriivka, poses for a portrait at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/The Associated Press)
A Homecoming to Ruins
When the soldiers finally reach Andriivka, there’s nothing left to liberate. The town is in ruins. Buildings are reduced to dust. Civilians are gone.
“What they’re liberating… it’s just ruins and graves,” says one soldier, revisiting his childhood homeland. The statement echoes like a funeral bell. Yet, the operation still matters. For those far from the front, a liberated town signals progress — even if it’s only symbolic.
No Glory, Just Ghosts
2000 Meters to Andriivka doesn’t glorify war. It questions it. It records the cost. It honors those who continue fighting — not by wrapping them in heroism, but by showing the brutal reality they face daily.
In the end, there is no beauty in this war. Just loss, endurance, and the desperate hope that someone is still watching.
