"I was heard. People were crying..." The director of 20 Days in Mariupol spoke about Hollywood's reaction to his speech, which lasted only 45 seconds

The director of 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov, spoke about the reaction of Hollywood stars to his speech during the Oscar for Best Documentary. He was surprised by the silence that prevailed in the hall when the team stood on stage.

Chernov believes that this means that he was heard. He shared the details in an interview with Voice of America.

The Ukrainian director admitted that he was not sure what to say in his speech, which was allotted only 45 seconds. Many of his compatriots offered their own ideas about what Chernov should say if he won. "It was actually quite difficult to decide what to say. There are so many things to say, and you have to fit them into the 45 seconds you have on stage," he said.

During the Oscar speech, the room was completely silent. "I felt that the hall was so quiet that I could hear a pin hitting the floor. It was the most silence I've ever heard in this hall during the entire ceremony. So I feel that yes, I was heard. And several people told me after the ceremony that they were crying. And I was so happy to know that my words had reached their hearts," the director said. He also added that celebrities and filmmakers were concerned about the war in Ukraine and expressed their support during the conversation with Chernov.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told how Disney explained why Mstyslav Chernov's speech was cut from the 90-minute international version of the Oscars 2024. Interestingly, last year's short broadcast included the Navalnys award ceremony. This year, however, they did not find time for Ukrainians.

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