A documentary about a female volunteer who was abducted by the occupiers was screened in Kherson

<span><span><span><span><span><span>A special screening of the documentary film "Traces," shot in the Kherson region, took place in Kherson. After the screening, the audience met with the director and veteran Alisa Kovalenko, as well as the film’s protagonists, Iryna Dovhan and Olga Chernyak.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>This was reported by the Kherson City Council.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The film centers on the story of human rights activist Iryna Dovhan. She herself was held captive by the Russians in 2014, when she was abducted by </span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>militants from the “Vostok” battalion for helping Ukrainian soldiers. She was tortured and paraded to a “pillar of shame” in the center of Donetsk, wrapped in a Ukrainian flag.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Later, Iryna Dovhan became the head of the organization SEMA Ukraine. The film shows how she documents the testimonies of victims in the de-occupied territories of Ukraine and brings women together in a support group.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The world premiere of the film *Traces* took place at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale 2026), where it won the Audience Award in the Panorama Dokumente section. In Ukraine, the premiere took place at the Docudays UA festival</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>Alisa Kovalenko is a renowned Ukrainian documentary filmmaker, a member of the European Film Academy, and a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In May 2014, while filming in the Donbas, she was detained at a checkpoint in Kramatorsk, after which she spent five days in Russian captivity. Thanks to the attention drawn by foreign journalists, Alisa was released, and she later became the first woman in Ukraine to speak publicly about this experience, transforming her own trauma into human rights advocacy and the play “Captivity.” Her personal experience also formed the basis of her latest documentary film, “Traces.”</span></span></span></span></span></span>

Previously, the documentary “TheDanube Delta and the Healing Power of Nature” won the “Environment” category at the Love Peace and Freedom Festival. Filming in the Ukrainian part of the delta lasted ten days.

The film shows how the restoration of nature in the Ukrainian part of the river delta is helping to bringlifeback to wetlands, wildlife, and the communities living near them. In recent years, the delta has also become a place where Ukrainian veterans can reconnect with nature and heal emotionally. This is the sixth film in the Wilder Europe series.

Юлія Калабайда