In the Rearview

There are six seats in the back of the van. The passengers, though sitting right next to each other, do not always know the next person. They are women, children, old men, and occasionally, a young father. Regardless of where they come from, they share the same destination: safety. With scenes taken on his trips as a volunteer evacuation driver, filmmaker Maciek Hamela portrays heart-wrenching accounts of civilians who had to leave their homes during the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In this van, silence is punctuated by experiences of the war. A family reminisces about the cow left behind. A grandmother wipes away her tears as she sends off her grandchildren. A small girl has stopped talking since a bomb hit nearby.

Outside the van window, the road is bumpy and the buildings are full of holes. Yet there is still warmth and hope in the midst of destruction. Two children become new friends. A surrogate mother talks about her dream of opening a café. A family reunites. Without reproducing any image of violence, In the Rearview shows the depth and resilience of humanity among traumatic moments.