Enlightenment

Photo: UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE.

Here comes a immersive cinematic portrait of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, by Sean Benn, on the eve of Russian Putin’s military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 

According to Variety plans were made to shoot in Ukraine, but the pandemic struck and, for about two years, Penn and Zelensky communicated via Zoom and telephone. When Kaufman and Penn, who appears on screen throughout the documentary, met Zelensky in person on Feb. 23 of last year: 

Zelensky was dressed, per Penn, 

“in a suit, as would be a head of state at the presidential palace.” 

We know that next day, Feb. 24, Russian missiles came raining down upon Ukraine.

And soon was born a film tracking the emotional odyssey of a war hero, becouse just one day later something changed:

 “Zelensky was two completely different creatures from one day to the next”,

recalls Penn of that fateful historical moment. 

“He was a spirit in waiting",

Penn says.

Man became enlightened.