A Ukrainian documentary exploring the lives of students and teachers during war opens Nov. 21 at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center.
Continuing is the moral thriller "It Was Just an Accident," which plays through Nov. 27.
Keeping schools open in Ukraine is an attempt to recreate at least some of the normal life they had before the war — until February 24, 2022 (and in some regions even earlier, in 2014). Without interviews, narration and reenactments, "Timestamp" provides an insight into how the war is affecting the daily lives of students and teachers. The film has a mosaic-like structure: it explores how a school functions in-person and online in these terrible times, both on and off the frontline, and how day-to-day life is intertwined with constant danger.
"Timestamp" is not rated and shows through Nov. 27
Vahid, an unassuming mechanic, has a chance encounter with Eghbal, a man he strongly suspects to be his former sadistic jailhouse captor. Panicked, Vahid gathers several former prisoners, all abused by that same captor, to try to confirm Eghbal’s identity. As the bickering group drives around Tehran with the captive, they must confront how far to take matters into their own hands with their presumed tormentor.
From master filmmaker Jafar Panahi comes a searing moral thriller that engages with complex ideas about the uncertainty of the truth and the choice between revenge and mercy, as Panahi turns his personal dissonance into a profound and galvanizing work of art.
"It Was Just an Accident" is rated PG-13 and shows through Nov. 27
For more information on films, including showtimes and ticket availability, visit the Ross' website.
