Institut des hautes études cinématographiques
Trofimenko was born on 20 March 1964 in Minsk, Belarus. Her father was Nicolay Antonovich Trofimenko (9 March 1936 - 12 December 2000), a welder. Her mother was Vera Lukinichna Trofimenko (5 September 1937 – ). She graduated from Minsk High School № 74 with French language. From 1982 to 1989, she worked at Belarusian Television where she directed and produced several films. In 1989, she was admitted to the Belarusian State Academy of Arts, the first school for directors of story films in Belarus, which was established by Victor Turov. Trofimenko graduated "summa cum laude" in 1994. In 1994, she won a competition and earned training at the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques,also known as La Fémis (École nationale supérieure des métiers de l'image et du son), in Paris. She received a grant from the French government and directed a documentary, and earned diploma-certificate.