Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius was killed in Mariupol by Russian forces, in southeastern Ukraine, where he had worked for a long time. Reuters reported today, citing reports from his friends and media.
“Our friend and participant of the Artdoc festival, Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius, was murdered today in Mariupol with a camera in his hands,” Russian director Vitaly Manski wrote yesterday on Facebook, founder of the documentary film festival Artdocfest.
“According to media reports, a rocket hit the car in which the filmmaker was travelling. Kvedaravičius was rushed to the hospital, but he could not be saved,” Nexta informed.
#Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Mantas #Kvedaravičius was killed in #Mariupol.
According to media reports, a rocket hit the car in which the filmmaker was traveling. Kvedaravičius was rushed to the hospital, but he could not be saved. pic.twitter.com/5L9v0c8arx
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 3, 2022
❗️Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius was killed in Mariupol, where he was documenting the atrocities of russian troops.
Kvedaravičius was tirelessly revealing the truth. His death is a huge loss for the cinematography and the whole world. pic.twitter.com/TVsNfTIfG7
— UKR Embassy in LTU (@UKRinLTU) April 3, 2022
The Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT also reported on the death of Kvedaravičius and pointed out that these reports had not yet been officially confirmed.
Born in 1976, Kvedaravičius was known for his documentary film “Mariupolis”, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2016. The film, which was shot in Mariupol, is about a Ukrainian city struggling to survive under siege – Reuters said.