A film showing this week at the Salina Art Center Cinema will feature a discussion with Rolling Hills Zoo.
“My Penguin Friend” is showing through Wednesday.
David Cooper from the Art Center Cinema writes:
The bond between humans and animals is surefire storytelling magic. Themes like loyalty, compassion, and friendship are universally appreciated, which is why movies such as Lassie, National Velvet, Harry & Tonto, and Babe are classics. Dogs, horses, cats, even pig, all these companionable creatures have gotten their cinematic due. We feel a primal bond with them because we sense they have feelings not totally unlike ours.
But what of other, more unusual animals? The penguin, for instance? Would the tale of a grieving man befriending a lost penguin have genuine resonance? Surprisingly, yes. It certainly helps that the human half of this pairing, a Brazilian fisherman named João, is played by Jean Reno, whose sad eyes and weathered countenance speak volumes. He and wife Maria (Adriana Barraza) are still feeling the loss of their son, and when João finds a penguin near death, poisoned by a boat’s engine oil, he finds a way to make amends for the tragedy he feels responsible for.
Based on true events that understandably became a worldwide viral sensation, director David Schürmann’s gentle film doesn’t anthropomorphize “DinDim” (as João names him) but does provide the penguin with its own agency, interesting personality, and oddball perspective on our human world. João nurses DinDim back to health, then sends him off to rejoin his penguin colony, expecting him never to return—except tfilm showinghat he does come back, every year after feeding season, to reunite with his human friend. It’s easy to sentimentalize a story like this, but Schürmann avoids pandering and actually offers a nice commentary on how this friendship got co-opted by the internet. What emerges is a lovely, warm-hearted fable that sees the best in all creatures, human or otherwise.
Following the final screening of “My Penguin Friend” on September 4 at 6 PM, a special discussion with Rolling Hills Zoo is planned. This family-friendly event is open to all ages, so bring the whole family!
Rolling Hills Zoo is a proud supporter of education and conservation efforts regarding penguins, in all of their diversity. That’s why the cinema is partnering with “My Penguin Friend” to help inspire more people to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of amazing animals like DinDim and Magellanic penguins, their habitats and what you can do to protect these fascinating creatures.
