Sartaj Singh
In the directorial hands of David Schurmann, ‘My Penguin Friend’ chronicles the delightful and unlikely friendship between a fisherman and a penguin. In a small Brazilian fishing village, João Pereira de Souza’s (Jean Reno) life is irrevocably altered when he comes across a small penguin on the beach, injured and covered in oil from a spill. As João cleans him and nurses him back to health, the two form a deep bond, one which reminds the fisherman of his son who passed away years ago. Even after the penguin returns home, he continues to travel 5,000 miles to visit João, becoming a worldwide sensation. The heartwarming film transports us to exotic and extraordinary coastal destinations in South America, bringing the uplifting true story of João and Dindim to cinematic life.
My Penguin Friend Filming Locations
‘My Penguin Friend’ was filmed in Ubatuba and Paraty, Brazil, portraying the real-life locales of the story as closely as possible. Cameras also rolled in Patagonia, Argentina, to capture a colony of Magellanic penguins at their coastal home. Principal photography began under the working title, ‘The Penguin & The Fisherman,’ and was carried out between September 2022 and November 11, 2022. A skeleton crew was dispatched to Patagonia after the initial completion of filming. They captured additional footage of the natural landscapes and wrapped filming by early January 2023. Ten rescued Magellanic penguins from the Ubatuba Aquarium—the same institution that cared for the real-life Dindim—actually portray the penguins seen in the film.
Additionally, Animatronic penguins were also created for the production. The penguins were given their own enclosure on set, complete with a saltwater pool, and were pampered with food and comfort while only filming for a few hours each day. When they were filming in the tropical climate of Brazil, a flamethrower would clear the shooting site of harmful bugs and bacteria before bringing a penguin on set. Their trainer, Fabian Gabelli, was dubbed the penguin whisperer and left the cast and crew in awe of how he and his team were able to communicate with them. 7-year-old Maui emerged as the star performer among the ten penguins, becoming very comfortable with the actors. He can be seen sitting on the sofa as Jean Reno pets him during a TV interview in the film.
Ubatuba, Brazil
The village of Ubatuba in the state of São Paulo became a major filming location for ‘My Penguin Friend’ as it stood in for Proveta, the fishing village that the real-life João Pereira de Souza is from. Additionally, the beaches of Ubatuba resemble those of Proveta, with dense tropical vegetation, golden sands, and sparkling azure waters. The creatives behind the project were clear that the story needed to be told in an authentic setting, which led them to film in Ubatuba.
While filming on the shores of Brazil, the team also used visual effects to capture scenes of the penguin alone in the wilderness. These involved water tanks, blue screens, and set construction. In addition, for the seven weeks that the crew filmed in Ubatuba, they had four cameras running at multiple locations in separate units in the water and on land, facing challenging weather conditions.
Paraty, Brazil
The quaint town of Paraty, nestled in the state of Rio de Janeiro, also served as a filming location that depicted parts of the fishing village seen in the movie. Paraty is known for its well-preserved Portuguese colonial architecture and vibrant buildings. The town’s cobbled streets and brightly colored doorways can be seen as the fisherman and penguin stroll through the village. Brazilian director David Schurmann was glad that he had the involvement of expert international cast and crew members while still shooting in his homeland. “I was very proud to bring this picture to Brazil, to be able to shoot it there with the real people,” he said in an interview. “I mean, the faces you’ll see in this film are real fishermen, are people from the community.”
Patagonia, Argentina
After completing the majority of filming in Brazil, a smaller team of 15 technical professionals and over 60 local talents ventured to the breathtaking natural landscapes of Patagonia in Argentina. The crew shot complementary scenes for the film, primarily centered on a colony of nearly one million Magellanic penguins. Located at the southern end of South America, the region is jointly governed by Argentina and Chile, and is a natural paradise of snow capped mountains, deep valleys, and semi-arid desert. The region is also home to the real-life Dindim as well as rare animals like the Patagonian cavy, the guanaco, and elephant seals.
Read More: My Penguin Friend: Is Paulo Based on a Real Wildlife Documentarian? Where is He Now?
