Alisa Kovalenko

Alisa Kovalenko (born September 24, 1987) is a Ukrainian documentary filmmaker and ex-soldier in the Ukrainian Voluntary Army. Her films have focused on Russia's invasion of Ukraine both during the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

She is known for films such as We Will Not Fade Away (2023) and Alisa in Warland (2015).

Early life and education Alisa Kovalenko was born in Zaporizhia, Ukraine in 1987.

Career In 2014, while still a film student, she made her first film, Sestra Zo about a former soccer player. In 2015, her first feature-length documentary, Alisa in Warland, premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. It was co-directed by Liubov Durakova.

In 2019, Kovalenko's experiences in Donbas lead her to begin a documentary film about the lives of teenagers in the war torn area and an opportunity five of them had to travel to the Himalayas. In 2023, the final film We Will Not Fade Away premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. Kovalenko said that the experience made her feel "powerless as a documentary filmmaker."

Her latest film Traces is co-directed by Marysia Nikitchuk and focuses on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The film premiered at the Berlin Filmfestival of 2026 and was nominated for best documentary feature.

Activism Kovalenko is a member of SEMA Ukraine, which advocates for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

Personal life She is married to producer Stéphane Siohan and together they have one son.

Filmography Sestra Zo (2014) Alisa in Warland (2015) co-directed with Liubov Durakova Home Match (2017, Short) Home Games (2018) Girl Away from Home (2023, Short) We Will Not Fade Away (2023) My Dear Theo (2025) Trances (2026)