Traces
Alisa Kovalenko / Ukraine & Poland / 2026 / 85 min
Ukrainian women who have survived sexual violence during Russia's war refuse to remain silent. A brutally honest testimony from the female victims of war.
In her film ‘My Dear Theo’ (CPH:DOX 2025), filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko documented her own experiences as a soldier on the front lines of Russia’s war. Now she is back with a film that sheds light on the sexual violence and abuse used as a weapon by Russian war criminals from the collective perspective of women.
Iryna Dovhan, a former prisoner and activist, documents testimonies from women in liberated areas of Ukraine. These women have survived sexual violence during the Russian invasion. Now they gather in circles and find strength in each other to tell their stories, no matter how painful they may be. ‘Traces’ is a psychological and empathetic portrait of six courageous women who testify to the human ability to find strength in community. A study in survival, courage, and solidarity after the horrors of war.