In February I wrote about watching some of the short films nominated for this year’s Academy Awards. Last week, I watched the winner in the documentary category after I stumbled upon a free showing while searching for evening activities.

That film is 20 Days in Mariupol, a documentary filmed by Ukrainian AP journalists during the beginning of what became a brutal siege of the Ukrainian city. I knew what happened in the city, but I did not know what to expect from the film. The film hit hard. This is not a film for children, those with weak stomachs, or those wanting a relaxing, feel-good story. The filmmakers based themselves at a hospital and filmed what transpired before them. Things also grew increasingly dire at the hospital as supplies ran out and the gruesome injuries kept coming. There were a few poignant, painful images in those scenes but I won’t describe them here. At one point the filmmakers were even behind Russian lines and recorded Russian tanks blasting away at apartment blocks. The filmmakers also edited in some of the Russian language coverage of their footage espousing conspiracy theories about how parts of it were faked, a reminder that information control remains a key part of conflict even if it’s more difficult now than in the past.

The weather that evening was appropriate too. It was an unrelenting downpour that lasted from before I left my apartment until well after I returned. The experience was not uplifting, but it was still a very worthwhile few hours. The whole film is currently available for free on YouTube and lasts about 90 minutes if you want to watch it.