Latest news with #HomeGames
News.com.au
6 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Graham launches plea for SFS home games
NRL: Rabbitohs star has shared his thoughts over the Rabbitohs plea to move their home games to Allianz Stadium.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A Ukrainian Mother and Doc Maker Writes to Her Son From the Frontline in ‘My Dear Théo' (Trailer)
Ukrainian documentary maker Alisa Kovalenko (Alisa in Warland, Home Games, We Will Not Fade Away) is a mother, filmmaker, and soldier. When Russia invaded Ukraine in the spring of 2022, she enlisted to defend her country, leaving her husband, French author and producer Stéphane Siohan, and 5-year-old son behind. Her film My Dear Théo, world premiering on March 23 at CPH:DOX, the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, is structured as a series of letters sent to her young son Théo from the frontline. The letters revolve around topics such as war, love, and the most difficult choices in life. A logline describes the film as 'a testament to the power of love in times of war – balancing frontline routines, the horrors of the battlefield, and tender, poetic letters' to her little son. More from The Hollywood Reporter Wheesung, Veteran Korean Singer, Dies at 43 The WWE Is Entering a New Era With Netflix. Paul Heyman Wants to Embrace the Change Palestinian Group Calls Out Oscar-Winning Doc 'No Other Land' for "Normalization" of Israeli Occupation 'Through Alisa's camera, we experience the harsh reality of the Ukrainian frontline, from the quiet moments of reflection and camaraderie, to the sudden chaos when the Russians attack,' notes the website of the Copenhagen festival. 'But most of a soldier's time is spent waiting, and this is the time when the inner turmoil is greater than the ferocity of the battlefield.' The first trailer for the film, which THR can exclusively reveal, shows Théo, but also Kovalenko and her fellow soldiers on the frontlines, giving a first sense for the emotional journey the doc will take viewers on. 'You spend hours, days, and nights in that trench, and you begin to notice the small things—the leaves, the trees, and the minute details that might seem trivial but are all part of the lived experience,' Kovalenko says. 'There is also a deeper, existential element that the camera can't quite capture. Forme, it was even more important to express what I was feeling in writing. That's why, in the end, I believe the letters hold far more emotional weight than the footage itself.' The filmmaker also says that 'one moment in particular hit me hard,' sharing: 'In the film, there is a scene where I speak about parents going to the front line so that our children wouldn't have to. Théo then turned to me and said, 'Mama, I don't want you to go back to the frontline. I'll go instead'.' Produced by Haka Films, the doc is being sold by Stranger Films Sales. Watch the exclusive trailer for My Dear Théo below. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked 20 Times the Oscars Got It Wrong The Best Anti-Fascist Films of All Time
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A Ukrainian Mother and Filmmaker Goes to War: Director Alisa Kovalenko Premieres ‘My Dear Theo' at CPH:DOX (EXCLUSIVE)
When Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on this day three years ago, filmmaker Alisa Kovalenko ('Home Games,' 'We Will Not Fade Away') bid farewell to her partner and four-year-old son and joined the Ukrainian Volunteer Army. As she traded her camera for a rifle, she couldn't leave behind her instinct to document. What emerged is 'My Dear Theo,' a poignant video diary for her son, set to premiere in the main competition at the Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Festival (CPH:DOX) in March. More from Variety 'Leaving Neverland' Sequel 'Surviving Michael Jackson' Set for March CPH:DOX Summit to Consider Media Accessibility as a Human Right AI in Non-Fiction, Immersive Storytelling, Investigative Journalism and Climate Justice to Be Debated at CPH:DOX Kovalenko filmed her fellow soldiers during moments of camaraderie and reprieve, including conversations with their children, offering an intimate and rarely seen portrait from the frontline. As time passed, she also filmed her own calls with her son, who had taken refuge in France with his father. 'I still believe that documentary cinema is a key to the heart,' she tells Variety in an exclusive interview. 'You can feel connected and you can feel empathy. And I wanted to show this other side of the frontline, the human faces, the love and the tenderness. Many people still think these are abstract soldiers fighting, but it's all of us fighting. We are all soldiers.' After four months in service, she faced a critical decision: enlist permanently or return home. She chose to finish editing 'We Will Not Fade Away,' a film about Ukrainian teenagers in the war-torn Donbas, which went on to win multiple festival awards. Kovalenko's commitment to telling Ukraine's story stems from personal experience. A seasoned documentarian, she has chronicled Ukraine's struggles since the 2014 Maidan protests and the annexation of Crimea. While filming in the Donbas region, she was detained at a Russian checkpoint and endured conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) at the hands of a Russian officer. 'He let me go with the words, 'Be thankful you're still alive,'' she recalls. Today, she is a member of SEMA Ukraine, part of a global network supporting survivors of wartime sexual violence, backed by Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege. As 'My Dear Theo' prepares for its world premiere, Kovalenko is focused on finishing her next project, 'Traces,' co-directed with Marysia Nikitchuk. The film investigates the silent epidemic of CRSV in Ukraine, a subject long shrouded in stigma. 'Since 2014, many cases have gone unspoken,' she says. 'I want to finish this project to help women who survived.' Looking ahead, she is uncertain about the future: 'I don't know what will happen with all these political games of 'Trump the peacemaker,' it's hard to predict anything. But if the frontline is not frozen in the coming months of 2025, I will return to the army.' Her broader concern, however, extends beyond Ukraine. '[French president Emmanuel] Macron recently said that Trump is like an electric shock for Europe, but the sad thing is I'm not sure Europe is ready to wake up. 'And if it doesn't happen, if we don't feel this common solidarity, if we don't feel that we are fighting for the survival of the values of a civilized, democratic world, that we are fighting against total evil, we will all lose, not just Ukraine.' A Haka Films production, 'My Dear Theo' is co-produced by Moon Man and & JB Films, with executive production by Monica Hellström, and additional support from the Polish Film Institute, Chicken & Egg Pictures, and Meadow Fund. Kirsten Johnson provided mentorship thanks to the Chicken & Egg Award. Stranger Films Sales is handling international sales. CPH:DOX runs in Copenhagen from March 19 through 30. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
