Polish Film Showcase – “In the Rearview”

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 to escape the life-threatening Russian aggression.

For over 6 months, film director, Maciej Hamela and his dedicated team of cameramen embarked on countless return trips to Ukraine to liaise with volunteer groups and provide help to evacuees seeking refuge in Poland.

As they steer through minefields to leave Ukraine and try 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 kilometres 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 safety 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.

The movie made it to the 2024 Oscar shortlist in the Best Documentary Feature Film category.

The documentary appeared at over 50 festivals in Poland and abroad.

AWARDS AND NOMINATION: 23 wins, 13 nominations

DIRECTOR

Maciej Hamela – film and radio producer, director, and scriptwriter. Born in Warsaw, Poland, he received a master’s degree from Sorbonne University (Paris IV) in French literature. Worked in renovations and as a tour guide, while studying film directing at École Internationale de Création Audiovisuelle et de Réalisation (EICAR). He is a long-time BBC Channel collaborator. A co-creator and a producer of a documentary short film “Bless You”, for which he received a Doc Alliance Award within the Cannes Docs program (Cannes FF 2021); the shot was also presented at Millennium Docs Against Gravity FF. He produced films such as “Convictions” (MDR Film Prize for an outstanding Eastern European documentary film at Dok Leipzig IFF 2016), “Gatherers of Sea Grass”, “Polonaise” or “Parquet”. Being a director and a producer of various radio works, he has received the Silver Melchior Radio Award for the Premiere of the Year 2018 in the Polish Radio Reporters National Competition. He produced and co-directed “Plan B”, a documentary podcast series for Audioteka.

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