At the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, a film about Russia’s war against Ukraine, directed by American actor and director Sean Penn, will be shown.
The special screening of the tape, named Superpower, will fall on the anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, writes NV with reference Variety. “Penn was in Kyiv, shooting a film with Zelensky, when the war in Ukraine began. Reality forced the film to turn into something less comfortable and meaningful. We are very grateful to Sean Penn and the entire team for choosing the Berlinale to screen this film,” said the Berlinale Art Director Carlo Chatrian at the press conference.
Penn worked with producer and director Aaron Kaufman on the documentary. The tape included footage shot in Ukraine as early as November 2021, as well as episodes from life in Kyiv at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
“The Berlin Film Festival will take place exactly one year after the war began, and perhaps the screening of this film in Berlin has a more urgent meaning than in any other place, because we are next to Ukraine, because Ukrainians live in Berlin, and also because of the political value of this film. For me, Superpower – I know it will attract a lot of attention – is a great door that will allow you to enter a very complex, detailed description of what happened and is still happening in Ukraine right now,” Shatrian noted.
The executive director of the festival, Marietta Rissenbeck, also announced that the colors of the Berlinale this year will be blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
The 73rd Berlin Film Festival will run from February 16 to 26, 2023. Ukrainian films will be shown at the festival “You love Me?” Toni Noyabrova, “We will not fade away” Alisa Kovalenko, “Waking up in silence” by Mila Zhluktenko and Daniel Asadi Faezi, as well as a short film about Kyiv Nadia Parfan, tape “Iron Butterflies” about the MH17 tragedy.
Sean Penn is an American actor and film director. Winner of the “Oscar” awards in 2004 for his role in the film “Mysterious River” and in 2009 for his role in the film “Harvey Milk”. In November 2022, it became known that Penn visited Ukraine for the first time, in particular, visited Kyiv and Donbas.
