Penguin Bloom might not charge into our shameful cultural history, but it could make friends across our popular culture. Premiering at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, the feel-good film stars Naomi Watts as a a disabled mother who develops a profound emotional connection with a magpie.
While it has divided its reviewers around the Toronto screening, none would query the quality of the film’s cast and crew. Director Glendyn Ivin excels at distilling truths about loss and pain from stories and performers in a culture that prefers to go surfing than have a good honest cry. Working with Harry Cripps, writer Shaun Grant started with a film in which the family dog is shot (Snowtown), and found his way eventually to Jasper Jones and then The True History of the Kelly Gang, so he knows a lot about emotional range. And working with strong directors. The producers are Bruna Papandrea, who knows how to work with US popular culture, Emma Cooper, Steve Hutensky, Jodi Matterson and Naomi Watts.
