Berlin Film Festival to screen Sean Penn's documentary 'Superpower' on Ukraine’s Zelenskyy

Hollywood actor-director Sean Penn’s documentary on Ukraine is set for a big premiere at the Berlin Film Festival next month, the Berlinale announced on Monday. According to Deadline, the documentary, titled ‘Superpower’, gives a glimpse into Ukraine and its president Volodymyr Zelenskyy when the country was on the brink of a war with Russia towards the end of 2021.

Talking about the cinematic work that has gone into filming the doc, Berlin artistic director Carlo Chatrian said: “This is a documentary film done under very difficult circumstances, but it is also a film that tells the role of art and artists in difficult times.” ‘Superpower’ will be screened at the film festival as part of the Berlinale Special Gala series on February 24, the day that Ukraine will observe the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.

The film festival will mark the day by hosting several events to honour filmmakers from Ukraine. One of the events that will be held will comprise a designated panel at Berlin’s European Film Market that will focus on financing options for audio-visual content from Ukraine.

Sean Penn travels to Ukraine

The film festival will also witness the screening of nine Ukrainian films from various genres, including ‘Eastern Front.’ Penn’s ‘Superpower’, which was co-directed by Aaron Kaufman, shows the actor-filmmaker in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, as well as a snippet of a discussion held between him and Zelenskyy.

Last year, Penn made several headlines over his travels in Ukraine, including the time he was seen at a press briefing in Kyiv. A clip shared online displayed the actor presenting an Oscar statuette to Zelenskyy, highlighting that it is a “piece” of him that he will be glad to keep in Ukraine until the country achieves victory in the war.

“It’s just a symbolic silly thing, but if I know this is here then I’ll feel better and strong enough for the fights. When you win, bring it back to Malibu, because I’ll feel much better knowing there’s a piece of me here,” Penn had told Zelenskyy. In exchange, the Ukrainian President bestowed Penn with the the Order of Merit honor “for his sincere support and significant contribution to the popularization of Ukraine in the world.”