MY DEAR THEO

February 2022. Ukrainian filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko decides to follow a promise to herself to volunteer in the Ukrainian Armed Forces if the Russian invasion in her country turns full scale. Alisa goes to fight on the frontline, leaving behind her 5-year-old son Théo.

This film that should never have existed was born out of the effort to preserve, amidst the horrors and dangers of war, the evidence of the unwavering love that the mother has for her child.

Through intimate video diaries and poetic letters addressed to a future grown-up Théo, Kovalenko 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 unwavering friendships, mutual support, and tender connections maintained with distant loved ones.
Serving both as a mother's testament of love and a war documentary, the film weaves together Kovalenko's personal story with the larger narrative of those who fight to ensure future generations may live in peace.
This first-person documentary offers an intense and intimate perspective on the human cost of war and the profound bonds between parent and child that endure even in the darkest circumstances.
Through her lens, Alisa Kovalenko honors both the living who serve and those who made the ultimate sacrifice, never to return to their families.

Original language: Ukrainian

Subtitles: Belarusian, English