Berlin
Berlinale wants to show Sean Penn’s documentary on Ukraine
The festival program of the Berlinale 2023 is about three weeks before the start. Hollywood star Sean Penn is to present his documentary “Superpower” about Ukraine – he met the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj.
Published: 17 minutes ago
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Updated: 16 minutes ago
HANDOUT – US actor Sean Penn (l) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj in a scene from the documentary “Superpower”. The new film by director A. Kaufman and Sean Penn is part of the Berlinale Special Gala series. Photo: -/The People’s Servant/Berlinale/dpa – ATTENTION: Only for editorial use until March 24th, 2023 in connection with reporting on the Berlin International Film Festival 2023 and only with full naming of the credits mentioned.
The world premiere of “Superpower” is now also planned in Berlin, as the festival management announced on Monday. Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian also announced the competition program. This year’s edition of the Berlinale takes place from February 16th to 26th. February 24 also marks the anniversary of the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
This time 18 films are in the running for the Golden Bear. There are five German productions. Director Margarethe von Trotta, for example, dealt with the writer Ingeborg Bachmann. Vicky Krieps and Ronald Zehrfeld play in their film «Ingeborg Bachmann – Reise in die Wüste».
Projects by Christian Petzold, Christoph Hochhäusler, Angela Schanelec and Emily Atef are also in the competition. Atef filmed the novel “One day we will tell each other everything” by Daniela Krien. The book describes the relationship of a young woman to an elderly farmer. Actress Paula Beer can be seen again in Petzold’s new film “Red Sky”. Petzold and Beer had also worked together in “Undine”, for which the actress had won a Silver Bear at the Berlinale.
Hochhäusler’s project “Until the end of the night” was announced as a detective story, Schanelec is there with “Music”. Also in the running is «Manodrome» by John Trengove with actors Jesse Eisenberg and Adrien Brody. Films by Philippe Garrel, Ivan Sen, Zhang Lu, Matt Johnson and Giacomo Abbruzzese with actor Franz Rogowski will also be screened in the competition.
Alongside Cannes and Venice, the Berlinale is one of the world’s major film festivals. The documentary by Penn and Aaron Kaufmann is not in the price race, but is being screened in the Berlinale Special Gala series. According to managing director Mariette Rissenbeek, Penn is expected in Berlin. They are also in talks as to whether Selenskyj can be connected.