“IN THE REARVIEW” AND "APOLONIA, APOLONIA" SHORTLISTED FOR IDA AWARDS
The documentary films by Maciek Hamela and Lea Glob has been shortlisted for the prestigious IDA awards. The nominations will be announved on 21 November.
The International Documentary Association (IDA for short) is a non-profit organisation founded in 1982 to promote documentary film. For thirty years, the organisation's members have been awarding IDA prizes to the best documentary productions of the year.
In the Rearview by Maciek Hamela 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.
In turn, Apolonia, Apolonia by Lea Glob is a story about very talented Apolonia, the artist was born in an underground theatre in Paris and grew up among artists. At the age of 20, she was studying at Beaux-Arts de Paris – one of the most prestigious art academies in Europe. Over the years, Lea Glob has been returning to film the charismatic Apolonia, and a special bond has formed between the two young women.The result is a fascinating portrait that covers 13 years from the life of a young woman trying to find her place in the art world. Apolonia is confident in her talent, but her path is not always easy. Life is not a fairy tale; one of the lessons Apolonia learns is that women painters have to make sacrifices and overcome more obstacles than their male colleagues. This also applies to her friend nad long-time roommate, Oksana Shachko, one of the founders of the feminist action group Femen. Apolonia's resilience is put to the test.
A list of all the films on the shortlist can be found here.