Trying to escape the war, a number of Ukrainian refugees end up being transported by the same car. This van becomes a transitory refuge, an intimate, fragile space of confessions and secrets. The candid conversations between the passengers and the driver on the topics of life, anxieties, dreams, and expectation assemble into a collective portrait, while the blend of closeness and distance creates emotion. Maciek Hamela’s film is also a testimony to the immense mobilization among Ukraine’s neighbouring countries, Poland, in this case, where everyone is trying to be as helpful as they can to those in need. The vehicle becomes a small utopia of solidarity that transcends borders, where the governing principle is "Together for something better". All you have to do is look into the rearview mirror. (Carmen Lascoiu)
Cinematography Yura Dunay, Wawrzyniec Skoczylas, Marcin Sierakowski, Piotr Grawender
Editing Piotr Ogiński
Production Piotr Grawender (Affinity Cine), Maciek Hamela (Pemplum)
Sound Design Marcin Lenarczyk
Music Antoni Komasa-Łazarkiewicz
Color grading Aleksandra Kraus PSFC
Artistic Poster Patryk Hardziej
Distributor Cinephil
AUDIO: Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, French, English
SUBTITLE: Romanian, English
awards and festivals
DMZ Docs (KOR), Unable to Settle or Leave section TIFF - Toronto International Film Festival (CA), TIFF Docs Odesa International Film Festival (UA), National Competition ▲ The Best Ukrainian Documentary Feature Film Award DokuFest (XK), International Feature Dox Competition Two Riversides Film and Art Festival (PL), World Under Canvas section Iceland Documentary Film Festival – IceDocs (IS), Main Competition ▲ Special Mention International Film Festival Fema La Rochelle (FR), l’Année du Documentaire section Sheffield DocFest (UK), International Competition ▲ Grand Jury Prize Cannes Film Festival (FR), ACID section Millennium Docs Against Gravity (PL), Polish Competition ▲ The Best Polish Film Award ▲ The Arthouse Cinema Association Award
06
April,
Saturday
Cinemateca Eforie
8:00 PM
84'
The director will be present for a Q&A after the screening
Maciek Hamela
Maciek Hamela
Maciek Hamela is a film and radio producer and director. Born in Warsaw, Poland, he has an MA in French Literature from the Sorbonne University (Paris IV) and he also studied Film Directing at École Internationale de Création Audiovisuelle et de Réalisation (EICAR). Hamela is a longtime BBC Channel collaborator. As a radio producer, he received the Silver Melchior Radio Award for the Premiere of the Year 2018 in the Polish Radio Reporters National Competition.
07
April,
Sunday
Cinema Union
8:30 PM
84'
The director will be present for a Q&A after the screening
Maciek Hamela
Maciek Hamela
Maciek Hamela is a film and radio producer and director. Born in Warsaw, Poland, he has an MA in French Literature from the Sorbonne University (Paris IV) and he also studied Film Directing at École Internationale de Création Audiovisuelle et de Réalisation (EICAR). Hamela is a longtime BBC Channel collaborator. As a radio producer, he received the Silver Melchior Radio Award for the Premiere of the Year 2018 in the Polish Radio Reporters National Competition.