Mstyslav Chernov’s 2,000 Meters to Andriivka

The tiny Ukrainian village of Andriivka went from obscurity to tragic notoriety in ways much like the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan. For months, Ukrainian forces fought literally centimeter by centimeter to liberate the village from its Russian occupiers, only to fall back when the counter-offensive stalled. After documenting the shocking carnage of Russia’s scorched earth tactics targeting Ukrainian civilians in 20 Days in Mariupol, director-producer-cinematographer Mstyslav Chernov embedded with the Ukrainian defense forces to capture the battlefield conditions they endure in 2,000 Meters to Andriivka, which opens this Friday in theaters.

Before Putin’s illegal invasion, Andriivka was a town of no particular importance, unless you lived there. However, during the Ukrainian counter-offensive, it occupied a location strategically close to Russian supply lines. Of course, safely reaching the village was truly an ordeal. Surrounded by bombed-out wasteland, Ukrainian forces had to traverse a narrow strip of surviving forest that had been mined and fortified with fox-holes.

Many offensives had already failed when Mstyslav and his colleague co-producer-co-cinematographer Alex Babenko tag-along with the latest push. Consequently, everybody understands the punishing nature of the fighting they face. As the Ukrainians haltingly progress, Mstyslav and Babenko mark their progress: 100 meters, 200 meters and so on. It is slow going, made even more frustrating by some of Mstyslav’s editorial choices.

Chillingly, Mstyslav has a habit of rather announcing the fatal ends met (in subsequent battles) by the Ukrainian soldiers he interviews at considerable length, usually towards the end of their very personal and dramatic segments. Frankly, many in the Ukrainian military tried to dissuade them reporting on the front line—with good reason.

Although Mstyslav and Babenko certainly document the Russians’ brutal tactics, the film itself often feels demotivating. Whether intentional or not, it emphasizes the futility of the sacrifices made during the bloody assaults on Andriivka. While never pro-Putin, the messaging is decidedly mixed, which makes its release this week rather ironic, considering it comes at a time when Trump and his many of his loyalists are finally turning against Russia and endorsing support for Ukraine.

Indeed, if you can force a MAGA friend to watch one Ukraine documentary, make it Mstyslav’s previous 20 Days, which will reinforce their disgust with Putin’s bloodlust, rather than 2,000 Meters, which could lend credence to their belief Ukraine simply cannot win in the long run.

Nevertheless, the visceral impact of Mstyslav’s battlefield journalism cannot be denied. Frankly, it is even more intense than Sebastian Junger’s Afghanistan documentaries, Restrepo and Korengal. If you want to see what contemporary infantry fighting looks like, 2,000 Meters will show you, but brace yourself, because it isn’t pretty.

Yet, despite all the horrors, hardships, and setbacks, the actual soldiers Mstyslav and company interview remain steadfastly resolute. Where his camera sees destruction, they see an opportunity to build back better, reconstructing the bombed-out cities in ways that do not reflect the grim Soviet influence of the past. That kind of optimism is truly inspiring. Any viewer who wants to understand the war in Ukraine should start with the jaw-dropping 2o Days in Mariupol. 2,000 Meters is then recommended for further context and the immediacy of its boots-on-the-ground perspective, when it opens this Friday (7/25) at Film Forum.