“Only in Ukraine did I finally feel the unity of the nation – something that Americans are promised in their own democracy” – Sean Penn

Ihor KOZLOV, “FACTS”

Famous American actor and director Sean Penn, as with&# 39; it turned out, he was together with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyion the first day of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Winner of two “Oscar” awards; shot a documentary in Kiev, which was conceived as a rather funny story about a popular comedian who became the president of the country. As a result, the picture tells about the existential threat to democracy. Penn said this on the air of the American TV channel CBS on the eve of the premiere of Superpower on the Paramount+ streaming platform. It will take place on September 18.

Sean Penn said that Volodymyr Zelensky completely changed in one day, and he noticed the change when they were together in the bunker of the presidential palace in the first hour of the Russian invasion.< /p>

"I met him the day before and… when he entered the room on the day of the invasion, in front of our cameras… there was a feeling that he was born for this…», — Penn said.

«This was a different person, on a cellular level, not at all the one I met the day before. And he had — and there is — like and the entire Ukrainian people, just complete determination», — he added.

This meeting is in the movie. Penn said that it all started as  "lighthearted storytelling" about Zelenskyi, and about the fact that he first met the President of Ukraine on Zoom “long before the drums about the Russian invasion”.

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The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of filming, and their first face-to-face meeting did not take place until February 23, 2022, a day before the full-scale attack. On the same day, they agreed to start filming on February 24. And Zelensky fulfilled his commitment despite a large-scale military crisis unfolding  ;— it communication on many levels. I think he felt that the time would come when such tools as means of communication and mass information would become part of military operations», — says Sean Penn.

After that, he made seven trips to Ukraine to shoot the film. He understands that he risked everything, including his life, but it was worth it.

«Only in Ukraine did I finally feel the unity and community of the nation — what was promised to Americans in their own democracy. What is in Ukraine, — it is the least civil democracy, the most cohesive community, the most unity of any place I have ever experienced in the world, and it is the direct embodiment of the best aspirations we call our democracy»,&mdash ; said Penn.

«I hope this film will give ordinary Americans an opportunity to understand why it is necessary to support Ukraine. I know that many people, sitting at the kitchen table, grumble unsatisfiedly: “Oh, we invest money in a foreign country!”. No! This is a great investment in our future, in America's future. If the Americans do not support the Ukrainians in their struggle, we will lose a lot. We risk losing our democracy», — stressed Sean Penn.

As  FACTS" wrote, Sean Penn started a whirlwind romance with a native of Cherkasy. The paparazzi photographed the Hollywood star and his new girlfriend in Rome. 62-year-old Penn and 43-year-old Olga Korotyaeva in arms walked through the Eternal City, kissed and went shopping.