A Ukrainian Mother and Filmmaker Goes to War: Director Alisa Kovalenko Premieres ‘My Dear Theo’ at CPH:DOX (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comLise Pedersen When Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on this day three years ago, filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko (“Home Games,” “We Will Not Fade Away”) bid farewell to her partner and four-year-old son and joined the Ukrainian Volunteer Army.
As she traded her camera for a rifle, she couldn’t leave behind her instinct to document. What emerged is “My Dear Theo,” a poignant video diary for her son, set to premiere in the main competition at the Copenhagen Intl.
Documentary Festival (CPH:DOX) in March. Kovalenko filmed her fellow soldiers during moments of camaraderie and reprieve, including conversations with their children, offering an intimate and rarely seen portrait from the frontline.
As time passed, she also filmed her own calls with her son, who had taken refuge in France with his father. “I still believe that documentary cinema is a key to the heart,” she tells Variety in an exclusive interview. “You can feel connected and you can feel empathy.
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