The beautiful thing about life is that you can meet good friends anywhere – at the supermarket, at the gas station or even at work – or rescue them from an oil spill.
OK, the latter is a bit unusual, but it’s also the story of My Penguin Friend. Deco sat down with the team behind the film to get the feathery details.
Jean Reno (as Joao): “Wait, wait!”
Adriana Barraza (as Maria): “Why is there a penguin in our house?”
Jean Reno (as Joao): “It needs our help.”
We can all get by with a little help from our friends… and a penguin named Dindim hits the friend jackpot in the new movie “My Penguin Friend.”
Duda Galvão (as Lucia): “It’s a penguin! Nice to meet you, Ding-Ding.”
Jean Reno (as Joao): “Dindim.”
The true story is about a fisherman who rescues a penguin from the sea and takes it under his wing.
Jean Reno (as Joao): “Look at the oil. Stay down. I’ll clean you up.”
Jean Reno plays the role of Joao in the film, a role he says he took on because of its complexity.
Jean Reno: “It’s an extraordinary story and a story of hope. It’s a story about how to take care of the environment, how to take care of the world and how you are not alone.”
Jean also learned a lot about aquatic life while filming.
Jean Reno: “They are tough, but at the same time they are like us, they are very sweet.”
And in case you’re wondering, director David Schurmann says directing real penguins isn’t all that easy.
David Schurmann: “It was a challenge to direct the penguins, especially because we didn’t want to shoot like a nature documentary. We wanted to get the camera close to the penguin, and the penguin was a character.”
These little guys also received first-class treatment.
David Schurmann: “Every time the penguins came on set, we had to be very respectful and get people out. We had to make sure that the path they were walking on or standing on was clear so there were no insects, viruses or bacteria.”
In return, these birds taught the cast and crew life lessons.
Jean Reno: “A little penguin actually shows us how we can become more human.”
“My Penguin Friend” is now in cinemas.
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