February 2022. Ukrainian filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko resolves to fulfil a promise she made to herself: to volunteer in the Ukrainian Armed Forces if the Russian invasion of her country escalates to full scale. Leaving behind her 5-year-old son, Théo, she goes to fight on the frontline.
This film, which was never meant to exist, was born from the effort to preserve — amidst the horrors and dangers of war — evidence of a mother’s unwavering love for her child. Through intimate video diaries and poetic letters addressed to a future, grown-up Théo, Alisa captures the devastating reality of war while reflecting on her choice to serve. Her camera reveals both the chaos of destruction and the profound humanity she finds among her fellow soldiers — their unbreakable friendships, mutual support, and tender connections with distant loved ones. Serving both as a mother’s testament of love and a war documentary, the film interweaves Kovalenko's personal journey with the larger narrative of those fighting to ensure future generations may live in peace.
This first-person documentary offers an intense, intimate perspective on the human cost of war and the profound bond between parent and child that endure even in the darkest times.
Through her lens, Alisa Kovalenko honors both the living who serve and those who made the ultimate sacrifice, never to return to their families.
Alisa Kovalenko is an award-winning Ukranian documentary filmmaker based in Kyiv. Her first two feature-length documentaries, Alisa in Warland (IDFA 2015) and Home Games (Sheffield Doc/Fest 2018) were screened at over 100 festivals, winning multiple awards. Alisa’s third film, We Will Not Fade Away, a teenage adventure documentary set in war-torn Donbas, premiered at the Berlinale 2023. We Will Not Fade Away won 20 international awards and was selected for the European Film Awards 2023. It was also named Best Ukrainian Documentary in 2023 by the Ukrainian Film Academy.
That same year, she co-directed a short documentary for young audiences, Girl Away from Home (IDFA 2023), with Simon Lereng Wilmont.
Alisa is an awardee of the Chicken & Egg Award 2024. Her films have been screened by major broadcasters and platforms such as Netflix and Arte.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Alisa joined a volunteer combat unit associated with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and fought on the frontline for months before returning to filmmaking. From this existential experience, she has drawn My Dear Théo.
My Dear Théo (2025), Girl Away from Home (co-directed with Simon Lereng Wilmont), (2023), We Will Not Fade Away (2023), Home Games (2018), Alisa in Warland (2015)
