The American made a documentary about Ukraine together with a partner and met Volodymyr Zelenskyj several times for it. He can’t hide his fear for the president.
Berlin – Since working on the documentary “Superpower”, Hollywood star Sean Penn has, in his own words, been concerned about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj on a daily basis. “Of course it has become a very personal film,” said the 62-year-old on Saturday in Berlin. “Initially, one thing was very clear: from February 24, the president and his family were the main target of the attacks. And of course that was one of the things that worried us a lot.”
Penn presented “Superpower” at the Berlinale. The documentary follows him and his partner Aaron Kaufman as they visit the country. The two wanted to make a documentary about Ukraine and Zelenskyj before the Russian invasion. Coincidentally, they had just arranged to meet the Ukrainian President on February 24th. The film has now become primarily a portrait of Zelenskyj, with whom the filmmakers spoke several times.
“This man had just shown me the face, the courage,” Penn said. “And I saw that courage on the faces of all Ukrainians. Our fear, of course, was that we wouldn’t see him again. And of course I have this concern every day. And it accompanies me every day now. We must not forget that life is a very fragile thing. The people we love and our dreams, yes, we should keep a close eye on all of that as long as we are in the world.” dpa
