“The only reason I would have stayed in Ukraine longer would have been to get a rifle without a bulletproof vest”
Sean Penn hesitated for a moment about picking up a rifle and joining the Ukrainian armed resistance. “Last week I was at a gas station in Brentwood and today I’m thinking about taking up arms against Russia. What the hell is going on?”
The controversial artist left Ukraine in March after spending several days in the country shooting a documentary with the local government team, and since then he has not hesitated to support Zelensky and his nation at every opportunity. She even threatened to boycott the Oscars if the Ukrainian president was not given a place at the gala to issue a statement (something the Grammys did).
Now, speaking to Hollywood Authenticthe actor and director has talked about how his relationship with Volodymyr Zelensky began and that he was considering taking up arms against Russia himself.
“We first started discussing a possible documentary about your country, it wasn’t particularly focused on the possible war,” Penn said. “And since then there have been many exchanges between us. Then I went and met him face to face the day before the invasion. And I was with him during the invasion, from day one.”
But Sean Penn went much further and, according to him, was about to join the armed conflict:
The only possible reason why I would have stayed longer in Ukraine last time would have been to take a rifle, probably without a bulletproof vest, because as a foreigner, you would want to give that bulletproof vest to one of the civilian fighters who doesn’t have it or to a fighter with more skills than me, or a younger man or woman who could fight longer or whatever. Because of my position in life I can’t do that, but if you’ve been to Ukraine [luchar] It has to cross your mind. And you think… what century is this?
Penn also states that he plans to return to the Ukraine sooner rather than later. “My intention is to return to Ukraine,” he said. “But I’m not an idiot, I’m not sure what I can offer. I don’t spend a lot of time texting the president or his staff while they’re under siege and their people are being killed.”
The filmmaker has also responded to those who doubt whether his documentary is timely or “opportunistic”, declaring that “In the long run, we don’t have any tangible evidence that documentaries actually change anything. We just don’t know. We only know that they can give hope.”
Source: Fotogramas
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
