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Ukraine Selects “TRACES” as Official Oscar Entry for Best International Feature
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Ukraine has selected the documentary TRACES, directed by Alisa Kovalenko and co-directed by Marysia Nikitiuk, as its official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, the Ukrainian Oscar Committee announced.
The documentary follows Ukrainian women seeking justice after surviving sexual violence and torture committed during Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Rather than focusing solely on documenting war crimes, the film centers on a community of survivors who have chosen to speak publicly about their experiences.
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“TRACES is an honest and profound documentary about an experience that is extraordinarily difficult to speak about, and about the strength of women who find the courage not to remain silent. Despite the extraordinary complexity of the subject, the film finds a delicate and expressive cinematic language that does not push the viewer away, but instead makes it possible to draw closer to the protagonists, hear them, and empathize with them,” the Ukrainian Oscar Committee said.
At the center of the documentary is the story of Iryna Dovhan, a former captive who became an activist and now documents testimonies from women who survived violence in Ukraine’s liberated territories. Through her story and those of other survivors, Traces builds a collective portrait of trauma while also exploring recovery, solidarity, and the search for justice.
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Kovalenko described the film’s selection as both an honor and an opportunity to draw greater international attention to crimes committed during Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Committee reported.
“The selection of our documentary TRACES to represent Ukraine at the 99th Academy Awards is an incredible honor and responsibility. But above all, it is an opportunity to draw the world’s attention to the crimes of sexual violence and torture committed by the Russian occupiers, and to amplify the voices of women who refused to remain silent about what they endured,” Kovalenko said.
The Oscar submission follows the documentary’s appearance at one of Europe’s major film festivals earlier this year. In January 2026, TRACES was selected for the Panorama Dokumente program of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), with screenings held in Berlin from February 12 to 22.
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-7d4f3ad5ce7dee839be1d486cffe0059.jpg "A scene from Ukrainian director Pavlo Shpehun’s short film Silence, winner of the Airone della Laguna – International Collateral Award at the Venice International Film Festival. (Source: ForeFilms)")
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
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