Citizen Penn examines the actor’s consequent years in the country, plunging the viewer into the midst of a post-apocalyptic catastrophe. Penn talks about the particular smell of dead bodies that permeates the air. He and his team manage to build a derelict hospital by literally stealing a medicine supply tent from the government – one of the few instances we see the actor chuckle. They battle a terrifying cholera outbreak. The most resonant bit comes at the halfway point, with Penn recollecting a harrowing attempt to rescue a young boy’s life.
“The most resonant bit comes at the halfway point…”
According to Penn, the last thing he wanted to do was come off as one of those celebrities that arrives, takes a picture with a thin toddler, and then bounces. Aside from accepting the mic from Anderson Cooper to “blackmail organizations” into providing relief assistance, Penn has admirably managed to stay out of the spotlight. Hardy examines the “white savior” complex: how rich white people may come to impoverished places with good intentions but are actually displaying their power – “I’m here to help, so you do as I say.” “If you want to help someone,” a Haitian professor says, “shut up and listen.” Penn seems to have done just that.
Although Penn is the focal point of Citizen Penn, the real citizens of this story are the Haitians. They are resilient, optimistic, and refuse to be labeled as victims. I do wish that we got to meet some of them a bit more intimately, that Hardy delved a little deeper into Haiti’s sociopolitical history. As it stands, it functions as a perfectly serviceable call to action, an extended, heartfelt PSA that neither glamorizes nor demonizes the actor.
Do yourself a favor and donate through Penn’s CORE website – just think, by contributing a few dollars, you are saving lives. Plus, you can officially deem yourself a more virtuous person than half of those celebs you may want to hug but who don’t do anything when it comes to helping those in need.
Citizen Penn screened at the 2020 AFI Fest.
"…the real citizens of this story are the Haitians...resilient, optimistic, and refuse to be labeled as victims"
