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.

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 five-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 endures even in the darkest times. Through her lens, Alisa Kovalenko honours both the living who serve and those who made the ultimate sacrifice, never to return to their families.