Alisa in Warland

Alisa Kovalenko, Liubov Durakova

Alisa is a student at the film academy in Kiev. When the Ukrainian revolution starts, she decides to go on a trip through the country in an attempt to understand the war. A candid, personal self-portrait by a young woman travelling through a country where her safety is permanently at risk.

Alisa is a 26-year-old student at the film academy in Kiev. Her life is pretty normal until President Viktor Yanukovych refuses to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Suddenly, everything changes: protests erupt in the capital, with the inhabitants demanding the president’s resignation. Alisa witnesses the demonstrations and embarks on a trip through Ukraine in an attempt to understand the war.

Her journey takes her to the east of the country, where she comes across demonstrations again, this time of a pro-Russian character. Along the way, she faces shootings, explosions and the searing consequences of the war for the people of her country. Alisa is personally caught up in the war when she is arrested by separatists for spying. The risks she takes also jeopardize her romantic relationship with a French journalist.

This candid self-portrait shows us a sensitive, concerned woman in search of answers. The direct, often handheld camerawork gives us an impression of Ukraine in the wake of the protests and of the tensions that arose among the various population groups.

Credits

Director
Alisa Kovalenko, Liubov Durakova
Producer
Miroslaw Dembinksi
Year
2015
Country of production
Poland
Type
Documentary
Duration
74 minutes
Spoken language
English, French, Russian, Ukrainian
Subtitles
EN
Production company
Doc'n'World Foundation