When I first saw the trailer months ago and without reading much about it, I thought it was a fictional story about a penguin who traveled a long distance away from his normal habitat. It was a couple of months after that initial trailer that I learned more about this penguin’s story and that of the human he had met after being cared for when he was far from home. I am pleasantly surprised to learn that this was based on a true story and how the two had such an impact on each other. There are some truly moving moments for me in the film (about three) where I caught myself being teary eyed, not only for the man and the penguin, but also for the community as a whole and those who care enough to study about the penguins and their lives.
My Penguin Friend is directed by David Schürmann and the script is written by Kristen Lazarian and Paulina Lagudi. At the beginning of the film, we see a young fisherman João (Pedro Urizzi), who lives and works in a coastal village in Brazil with his wife, Maria (Adriana Barraza, Babel, Drag Me to Hell, Blue Beetle) and son. One day, João’s young son is allowed to go out fishing with him – an exception he made quite reluctantly. Unfortunately, there is a tragedy that day and João was never the same, according to the fellow fisherman he used to be close to.
Years later, João (Jean Reno) takes out the boat in a quiet manner, not interacting with others much. When he is out in the water, he discovers a penguin, almost dead from an oil spill. João rescues him with dish soap, a little food and then, how to break the news to his wife Maria. There are some amusing scenes at that point and families will certainly find it so.
The people in the community learned about the penguin and a child named him DinDim. What is soon learned is that DinDim would leave the “home” in Brazil for months at a time. João knew he had no control over the penguin’s actions, telling the fellow community members DinDim is a friend, not a pet, and “he does what he wants” as he got used to DinDim coming and going in a certain pattern.
The script is good in that the audience learns more about penguins, and their migratory habitats. There are researchers who study them in Patagonia and when DinDim displays some different actions, they decide to study him closer. They discover some interesting facts and are not prepared to dismiss them. The care and concern displayed by the researchers is heartwarming. Learning how smart and capable penguins are makes this story so much more interesting for multi-generations of people. This is a story I highly recommend families to view. It helps the younger family members (and some elders as well) to learn about how animals are capable of bonding, not only with their own, but with humans too – especially those who care as did João.
The family/drama film is rated PG and opens in select theaters as of August 15, 2024. It is officially available on August 16 nationwide.
Source: Roadside Attractions
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