Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World

A remarkably moving piece of work, a documentary that understands that a diner can’t save your life, but that doesn’t make it any less essential to it.

The substance and the heart of it are very worthwhile, but there's a lot of peripheral and maudlin stuff happening here.

Even if some scenes want for energy, the compassion of the “Veselka” subjects — and its filmmaker — never wavers.

A lively portrait of life at the titular East Village Ukrainian restaurant, against the background of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.