Original recording from the 2023 documentary feature film directed by Maciek Hamela, produced by Affinity Cine and Pemplum, released by Film Movement (USA) and New Story (France).

THE STORY: A small van traverses war-torn roads, picking up Ukrainians as they abandon their homes at the front. Shuttling them across the battered landscape into exile, the van becomes a fragile refuge, a zone for its passengers’ confidences.

THE SCORE: “The roots of my composition go back to spring 2022. An invitation to compose a song for a concert of Polish and Ukrainian musicians brought me closer to Ukrainian literature and poetry. Among many poems I read during that time, one stuck with me in particular: “Wings” by Lina Kostenko. It had in it elements, which resonated so strongly with my emotions, a mixture of anxiety, uncertainty, melancholia, combined with a deeply humanist sense of hope and lightness. A truly unique combination of all aspects of our condition, condensed into one simple metaphor. When Maciek Hamela offered me to write the score to his documentary about evacuating Ukrainian war victims from the front lines, my thoughts immediately went back to this beautiful poem. Even though we were uncertain at first, if we can allow ourselves to use poetry as means of illustrating the realities of war, we soon agreed to take this artistic risk. And it worked, as a form of epilogue to this humble, gentle film.  The voices in the music recording belong to Ukrainian singers, who currently live in Poland as war refugees. They were joined in the studio by the Lutosławski String Quartet.” – Antoni Komasa-Łazarkiewicz

THE COMPOSER: Born in 1980 in Warsaw, composer Antoni Komasa-Łazarkiewicz has written music for film and theatre for more than 25 years. It brought him recognition in various countries, including Poland, Germany, Czechia and Turkey. He composed music to films by such esteemed directors as Agnieszka Holland (In Darkness, Spoor, Mr Jones, Charlatan…), Jasmila Zbanic (Quo Vadis Aida?), Yesim Ustaoglu (Clair Obscur), Florian Gallenberger (The Turncoat) and Hans Steinbichler (Winterreise). Since 2007, Antoni has been living and working in Berlin, collaborating on film and music projects with his wife and artistic partner, Mary Komasa. He has been awarded, among others, with the Czech Lion, German Television Music Award, the Polish Film Festival Award, and the Istanbul Film Festival Award.

RB04002 “WINGS” FROM “IN THE REARVIEW” (Music from the Motion Picture)
Music Composed by ANTONI KOMASA-ŁAZARKIEWICZ
Release date (digital): June 7, 2024