My Dear Theo
Alisa Kovalenko / Poland, Czech Republic & Ukraine / 2025 / World Premiere / 98 min
In a series of letters to her young son, a mother, soldier and filmmaker documents her thoughts from the Ukrainian frontline. A deeply moving and existential film of unimaginable courage.a
Alisa Kovalenko is a mother, soldier and filmmaker. When Russia invades Ukraine in the spring of 2022, she enlists as a soldier to defend her country. ‘My Dear Theo’ is structured as a series of letters to her young son Theo, sent from the frontline. The letters revolve around topics such as war, love and the most difficult choices in life.
Through Alisa’s camera, we experience the harsh reality of the Ukrainian frontline, from the quiet moments of reflection and camaraderie, to the sudden chaos when the Russians attack. But most of a soldier’s time is spent waiting, and this is the time when the inner turmoil is greater than the ferocity of the battlefield.
‘My Dear Theo’ is above all an existential, heartbreaking and deeply personal film created with almost unimaginable courage. A vital testimony to what is actually at stake in Ukraine, and a fundamentally moving film against any kind of war.