Director Alice Kovalenko has been awarded $200,000 from businessman Rinat Akhmetov to support the Oscar campaign for her film “Traces.” On September 16, the film was chosen as Ukraine’s national candidate for the 99th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. This collaboration between the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and the film team began earlier.“Rinat Akhmetov’s decision to support Alice Kovalenko and her film with a scholarship is both personal and intentional. Previously, the ‘Voices of the Peaceful’ Museum agreed on a strategic partnership with the film team, as ‘Traces’ aligns with its philosophy,” said Natalia Yemchenko, chairwoman of the Foundation’s Supervisory Board.
“Traces” depicts the stories of Ukrainian women who endured violence and torture amid the Russian aggression but refuse to identify themselves as victims. The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation is the first charitable organization in Ukraine to back an Oscar campaign for a Ukrainian film.
