Sean Penn Lashes Out at ‘Creepy Little Bully’ Putin After Berlin Premiere of Volodymyr Zelenskyy Documentary ‘Superpower’

variety.com:

Christopher Vourlias Sean Penn said he was happy to be a “propagandist” for the Ukrainian war effort and called Russian president Vladimir Putin a “creepy little bully” Saturday in Berlin, after the world premiere of his gonzo documentary “Superpower,” a gripping, courage-under-fire portrait of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “This is not an unbiased film because this is not an ambiguous war,” he said, calling the conflict “extremely personal.” “I’m very happy to be considered a propagandist.

I was happy to make an unbiased film because that is the true story we found.” Donning a black jacket and hoodie and sporting a camouflage trucker cap, Penn repeatedly called on the Biden administration to send precision, long-range missiles to Kyiv to support the Ukrainian war effort.

Praising the courage of Zelenskyy, Penn lashed out at his Russian counterpart when asked if the filmmakers wanted to hear from Putin, who he described as a “war criminal.” “It was quite clear to us that we were not going to allow our film to be a podium for transparent deception,” he said. “I think we would have been better served talking to a wall.” “Superpower,” which Penn co-directed with Aaron Kaufman and is produced by Vice, met with a standing ovation Friday night in Berlin, after its premiere out of competition as a Berlinale Special Gala.

Clocking in at just under two hours, the film follows the Hollywood star as he travels across Ukraine in the months before the Russian invasion and then lands a series of sit-down interviews with Zelenskyy once the war begins.