Event info

In the Rearview is an authentic, intimate observation of war as it unfolds, following multiple

generations of Ukrainian civilians as they abruptly abandon their homes and rely on the help

of director 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 the roads of Ukraine to transport uprooted

refugees safely to Poland. The van traverses tens of thousands of kilometers and serves as

a waiting room, hospital, shelter, and zone for confidences and confessions among

compatriots thrown together by chance. 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

2 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.