Social media users have been bombarded with horrific images almost non-stop since the start of the war in Ukraine. It’s hard to look away, the risk of endless doom scrolling is lurking. But on the socials you will also find bright spots in difficult times, symbols of goodness between the misery and the sadness. For example, people on Twitter are being reminded of the fact that the president of Ukraine in a previous life voiced a very cute, talking bear.
With a cheerful look in his eyes, we see him talking to the camera: “Hello dear friends. I, Volodymyr Zelensky, will give my voice to the beautiful, charismatic, friendly bear Paddington.” It is a fragment from a promotional video for the Ukrainian version of the film Paddington 2 (2017). Here we see Zelensky, then an actor and not a politician, talking about the recording of the voice of Paddington bear. “Everyone can enjoy this film, regardless of age,” he says.
One of the British protagonists, actor Hugh Bonneville, saw the video also† “Until today I had no idea who was doing Paddington’s vote in Ukraine. Thank you, President Zelensky.” Bonneville then shared a link to a UNICEF page: “For those around the world who cherish Paddington’s values.”
Zelensky’s path from comedian and actor to war president is well known. His combative video messages are widely shared. That he had previously recorded the voice of a peace-loving little bear almost seemed like a joke. But it’s really true confirmed film studio StudioCanal. In 2022, according to Twitter users, the symbolism is splashing off the screen. They point to the contrast between Zelensky and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. The icy Putin is deploying the army against the warm Paddington bear, they say.
Melt the coldest heart
It’s true that few characters are as pure as Paddington. The figure (red hat, blue jackets, crazy about marmalade) was conceived in the late 1950s by the British writer Michael Bond. The bear’s popularity rose to great heights thanks to director Paul King’s new live action films. This shows a computer-animated Paddington together with real actors. The bear, an immigrant from Peru, becomes part of a British family in the films and has exciting and funny adventures in London. The second part in particular was – rightly – received very positively by the press and the public. The film “melts the coldest heart”, wrote film editor Coen van Zwol recently.
In the original version the voice is provided by Ben Whishaw, for the Dutch dub presenter Beau van Erven Dorens has been hired.
Paddington Bear became a social media hero, especially since the second part. The love for the film began to become a meme in its own right, including on Letterboxd, a social network for movie buffs. This is where users trip over each other with their declarations of love† Citizen Kane† Nothing compared to Paddington 2said one. Martin Scorsese cries himself to sleep every day because he didn’t make this movie, according to another. The best movie ever, at least until the sequel comes out. Paddington 3 is in the works.
And here is Zelensky as the voice of Paddington pic.twitter.com/vif4L8hGGz
— Nick de Semlyen (@NickdeSemlyen) February 27, 2022
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