POLISH CO-PRODUCTION “IN THE REARVIEW” NAMED BEST FILM IN ODESSA
The premiere of Maciek Hamela's In the Rearview at the 14th Odessa International Film Festival was the first public screening of this Polish-French-Ukrainian co-production in Ukraine. In announcing the verdict, the jury stated that the victory was determined not only by the film's human element but also by its cinematic quality.
The Odessa International Film Festival is the most important Ukrainian event presenting the country's domestic cinema. The festival features premieres of the most anticipated films, with titles from both established filmmakers and debutants in the program. Although the festival is mostly dominated by Ukrainian cinema, its non-competitive sections include a wide range of international productions.
Maciek Hamela's winning film shows the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Suspended in time and space, facing an uncertain here and now, a group of people decides to abandon what's most precious to them and without hesitation get into a dusty van on foreign plates. The car covers thousands of kilometres, serving various functions: a waiting room, a hospital, a shelter, and above all, a space for confessions and admissions, which the fellow travellers start to share naturally. In The Rearview is a collective portrait composed of the experiences of people who have one goal: to find a safe haven. In the van, their temporary asylum, differences of gender, age, skin colour, physical ability, origin, identity, views, or beliefs fade away altogether. In the Ukrainian and Polish titles (Zvidky kudy, Skąd dokąd), “where from” (звідки / zvidky) and “where to” (куди / kudy) are also routine questions asked when passing through numerous checkpoints scattered all across Ukraine.
You can find out more about the festival here.