The Ukrainian Film Club of Columbia University will screen and discuss the feature documentary In the Rearview, 2023, directed by Maciek Hamela. Yuri Shevchuk will introduce director Maciek Hamela and lead the post-screening Q&A.
In the Rearview is an authentic, intimate observation of war as it unfolds, following multiple generations of Ukrainian civilians as they abandon their homes and rely on the help of Maciek Hamela’s volunteer aid van to escape the life-threatening conflict. As he steers through minefields to leave Ukraine and tries to get through numerous military checkpoints, Hamela offers us a seat in his car, guiding the documentary from behind the wheel and behind the camera, crisscrossing Ukraine to transport refugees safely to Poland. The van covers tens of thousands of kilometers and serves as a waiting room, hospital, shelter, and zone for confidence and confessions among compatriots thrown together by the war. In the Rearview is a collective portrait composed of an array of experiences of Ukrainians who share a single goal: finding a safe haven in the throes of conflict. With temporary asylum granted to all passengers, their differences in gender, age, skin tone, physical condition, origin, identity, worldviews and faith become irrelevant. While the war itself remains in the backdrop, its reflection and impact are evident and raw.
In Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish with English subtitles.
