The Serbian Radical Party called the documentary "20 Days in Mariupol" anti-Russian propaganda and asked to ban its screening throughout the country.
The party calls on the management of the municipality of Lazarevac and the local Cultural Center to cancel the showing of the film and appeals to the competent authorities to prevent the film from being advertised anywhere in Serbia.
The film was scheduled to be shown in the Contemporary Gallery of the Lazarevka Cultural Center. Radicals point out that admission to the show is free, and therefore "someone paid for the rent of the hall."
"The question arises as to who finances the promotion of this extremely anti-Russian propaganda film of the Kyiv regime. The film tells about the alleged Russian invasion of Ukraine. The promotion of such a position contradicts the official policy of the Republic of Serbia, which has taken a neutral position since the beginning of the Russian "special operation in Ukraine," the press release of the radical party says.
One of the largest documentary film festivals in the Balkans, Beldocs Echo, which planned the screening at the gallery, published a post on its website stating that the organizers do not agree with this position and will make every effort to ensure that the screening takes place.
"The team of "20 days in Mariupol" is sorry to hear the news about the cancellation of screenings of the film in Serbia. Our goal has always been and will be to do everything so that the world sees and remembers the tragedies of people who lost their families, their city and their lives during the siege of Mariupol," commented the director of the film, Mstislav Chernov.
- "20 Days in Mariupol" is the directorial debut of war correspondent, photographer, videographer and writer Mstislav Chernov. Photographer Yevhen Maloletka and producer and journalist Vasylisa Stepanenko also participated in the creation of the picture. They received the Pulitzer Prize for their work in Mariupol during the siege.