Mstyslav Chernov

After deliberation, the third Hodler Prize was awarded jointly to three narrative works: the podcast “Otherworld” by Jack Wagner, the video game “Skate Story” by Sam Eng, and the novel “Jaw Filler” by Charlie Markbreiter and Maz Murray. A special Witness Award is given to the documentary “2000 Meters to Andriivka” directed by Mstyslav Chernov.

“2000 Meters to Andriivka is a documentary film produced and directed by Mstyslav Chernov, a war correspondent for the Associated Press. Essentially composed of body-cam footage recorded by Ukrainian soldiers in combat, it follows a Ukrainian platoon during a mission to liberate the Russian-occupied village of Andriivka in 2023, during the counter-offensive that was launched into the second year of the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Notwithstanding the breathtaking quality of the imbedded reporting and the tribute it pays to the courage of the advancing soldiers, it serves as a stark reminder that, for all the drones, Starlink enabled communications and AI much talked about in this war, the crude reality of fighting on its frontlines is still one of a man-to-man combat eerily reminiscent of the first world war slaughterhouse.

I chose 2000 Meters to Andriivka because it demonstrates that no progress has unfortunately been achieved by humanity in the first decades of our new millennium, neither in terms of technology or morality, – yet.” Mark Alizart