The Academy Awards went big on Ukraine on Sunday, with 20 Days in Mariupol winning the Oscar for best documentary.
Director Mstyslav Chernov gave an intense and emotional acceptance speech, repeatedly calling out Russia and concluding with the slogan “slava Ukraini.”
He also noted “this is the first Oscar in Ukranian history.”
His speech elicited enthusiastic applause from the celebrity audience.
Watch below:
20 Days in Mariupol acceptance speech #oscars pic.twitter.com/dn3vdStIOg
— marymcnamara (@marymcnamara) March 11, 2024
The Oscar win for 20 Days in Mariupol comes amid a renewed push by the Biden administration to juice flagging public enthusiasm for sending billions more in taxpayer dollars to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On Thursday, President Biden led his State of the Union address with an appeal for more Ukraine funding. His speech placed Ukraine before such emergencies as the open southern border and record inflation hammering American households.
Responding live to Biden’s speech on Truth Social, former President Donald Trump stated, “Putin only invaded Ukraine, because he has no respect for Biden. Would have never happened under the Trump Administration, and for four years it didn’t happen!”
20 Days in Mariupol was produced by the Associated Press and PBS’ Frontline.
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