Very occasionally a programme comes along that is so erudite and inspiring that it's like an electruct shock. Just so - as I watched and cried with its emotional truth and pain The Zelensky Story on the BBC Two last night. The Hollywood actor Sean Penn, gave Zelensky - his Oscar for safe keeping and good luck. Zelensky was before - being shot to fame as president - a very funny and successful comedian. The Russian people loved Zelensky. There is a film of Putin, with a pseudo smile - laughing at a live performance of Zelensky and his troop of actors. In February 2022 everything changed with Putin's invasion of Ukraine - or the Special Operation as Putin likes to call it. Zelensky quotes from the Hamlet play 'to be or not to be, that is the question'? This is a seminal and touchstone moment in the long history of Ukraine. This encourages the people to fight.
The BBC film is directed by Michael Waldman who interviews Zelensky and first lady plus many friends who have known him for years as actors. A few days after the war started - we see president Macron, on the phone with Zelensky. It's a painful to watch how robotic Macron is. Boris Johnson, turns up and isn't too bad, if you can forget Partygate etc? The Guardian journalist Luke Harding is part of the filming and is excellent. I can't recommend this series more strongly - it's absorbing, terrifying and inspiring in equal measure.
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