American actor and director Sean Penn, a two-time Oscar winner for the films "Mysterious River" and "Harvey Milk," participated in the creation of the Ukrainian film "War Through the Eyes of Animals." For his role in the short story called "The Eagle," he received a symbolic fee of just $1.
This was told in an interview with Suspilny by the author of the almanac's idea and producer Oleg Kokhan. According to him, the team was ready to discuss the standard conditions of participation for a Hollywood star of this level, but Penn himself insisted on a symbolic payment. According to the rules of the Screen Actors Guild of America, an artist cannot act completely for free, so the producers had to pay the minimum allowed amount.
Oleg Kokhan noted that before making the decision, Sean Penn carefully read the script, reviewed the footage, and talked with director Myroslav Slaboshpytsky. After that, the actor announced that his fee would be $1, which was a gesture of support for Ukraine and Ukrainian cinema.
Sean Penn visited Ukraine several times after the full-scale invasion began and filmed the documentary “Superforce.” It was he who initiated the appearance of Ukrainian military personnel on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival, along with musician Bono.
The film-almanac "War Through the Eyes of Animals" consists of seven short stories, each created by a separate director and crew. The director of "Tribes" Myroslav Slaboshpytsky, whose film remains one of the most titled Ukrainian films, is also a participant in this project.
A novella starring Sean Penn called "The Eagle" became one of the key parts of the almanac, revealing the war through the prism of the stories of animals and the people they accompany.
