At the Berlinale, the documentary ‘Traces’ by directors Alisa Kovalenko and Marysia Nikitiuk received the Audience Award in the Panorama Dokumente section. ‘Traces’ tells the stories of Ukrainian women who survived sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers during the full-scale invasion
‘Despite the trauma, the six women featured in the film have come together to resist and demand accountability’, the film’s synopsis states. The film ‘Traces’ is based on the personal experience of director Alisa Kovalenko, who was captured by Russian forces in 2014, as well as on testimonies from the SEMA Ukraine community.
The Panorama Audience Award has been presented since 1999. Since 2011, separate awards have been given to feature and documentary films. In 2026, the Berlinale team processed over 26,500 votes to determine the winners of the award.
The producers of ‘Traces’ are Olha Brehman and Nataliia Libet through their production company 2Brave Productions (‘Timestamp’). The film was acquired by the French broadcaster ARTE France while still in production.
Commenting on the film’s selection at the Berlinale, Olha and Nataliia said: ‘This [selection for the Berlinale] is not only a show of support for the Ukrainian team working under the conditions of war, but also an opportunity to be heard far beyond Ukraine — to speak to a broad European audience with a story that calls for attention, empathy, and justice. It is a sign that the world is ready to listen, and that Ukrainian women are not left alone with their experiences. Their stories are becoming part of Europe’s shared memory’.
In 2018, another film by Marysia Nikitiuk — ‘When the Trees Fall’ — was presented within the Panorama Dokumente section.Meanwhile, Alisa Kovalenko’s film ‘We Will Not Fade Away’, which explores the coming of age of teenagers in eastern Ukraine, was featured in the Berlinale Generation 14+ program in 2023.
