Sean Penn Ukraine Film ‘War Through The Eyes Of Animals’ Wraps Scenes In LA; More Details Emerge

EXCLUSIVE: Sean Penn-starring Ukrainian anthology movie War Through the Eyes of Animals has wrapped shooting in LA and more details have emerged about Penn’s involvement.

The movie is told in nine parts and shines a spotlight on animals affected by ecocide due to the war in Ukraine, which has been raging for nearly two years. Filming recently wrapped in LA and a second phase will begin in Ukraine shortly.

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Penn stars in the final story titled ‘The Eagle,’ written and filmed by renowned director Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi (The Tribe), which pays tribute to a Ukrainian nature reserve around Chernobyl ravaged by war. It features a recording of rare bird voices in a national reserve, where a young sound engineer has ventured at the request of a foreign producer. The engineer is then interrupted by the sudden outbreak of war.

“It was a pleasure to collaborate with a global cinema legend and one of the finest actors of our time,” said Slaboshpytskyi, with Penn’s scenes now in the can. “His professionalism and dedication left me in absolute awe. Working with Penn on set was  a hugely impactful experience as a director, and a genuine celebration of creativity.”

Penn has been one of the most prominent anti-war voices in Hollywood. He has met President Volodymyr Zelensky several times and co-directed a documentary about him, Superpower, which was initially planned before the war broke out.

Ukrainian outfits SOTA Cinema Group and Kleos Art Productions started rolling cameras last year on War Through the Eyes of Animals and the first three stories were titled ‘The Rabbit, Or There and Back Again’, ‘The Sonny’ and ‘The Cow in the Fog’. All the stories in this anthology are drawn from real events, underscoring that environmental disasters transcend state borders.

Film.UA and Red Arrow Studios International’s Ukrainian anthology TV series Those Who Stayed, which tells stories of people who have remained during the war, has sold to a wealth of territories.

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