NEW PROJECT ANNOUNCED : PENGUIN BLOOM
Glendyn Ivin
For years I’ve dreamt of making a film based in and around ‘nature’. Where an animal would be a main character and there would be a spirit of generosity and a wildness throughout. And it would be hopeful and emotional and beautiful and there would be darkness as well as light. And if it was based on a true story and had real life elements that could be drawn heavily on then that would be a bonus.
Dreams like this, especially when written down come across as thin and vague and highly unlikely, but… then along came Penguin!
Photograph by Cameron Bloom.
Penguin Bloom: Based on the International best-selling book of the same name, this magical film tells the true and emotional story of a family’s extraordinary friendship with a unique little bird. Set on Australia’s northern beaches, the film stars Naomi Watts (The Impossible) as Sam Bloom, a young mother recovering from a near-fatal accident that has left her unable to walk. As they struggle to come to terms with their new situation, a guardian angel enters their lives in the form of an injured magpie chick, whom they name ‘Penguin’. This odd little bird helps them rediscover the preciousness of life, as they learn to heal as a family. Produced by Bruna Papandrea, Naomi Watts and Emma Cooper, the film is directed by Glendyn Ivin (The Cry) and written by Shaun Grant (The True History of the Kelly Gang) and Harry Cripps (The Dry).
Pre-production starts soon…