Liubov Durakova

This project consists of the creation of a photobook, and the continuation of research on the theme of the war's influence on Alisa and her family.
I met Alisa in 2010 in a student residence. We studied documentary filmmaking together, we shared a room together and made plans for the future. We were friends, we talked a lot and I took photos of Alisa.
In 2013, the Maidan Uprising began, then the war started. I made a film with Alisa called Alisa in Warland. In this film, Alisa explored the topic of volunteer soldiers, and I explored how war affected Alisa's life.
My photobook provided a serendipitous opportunity, seven years after the film's premiere, to revisit the story and rethink it. To talk about captivity, about Alisa's acquaintance with women who were also in captivity. About nightmares at night. To talk about the birth of Alisa’s child, her decision to go to the front as a volunteer soldier and how her family accepted this decision. To talk about how her loved ones have changed in these days. Through the prism of Alisa’s experience, I ask the question: Who are volunteer soldiers, and how do they differ from the military?