Steve Coogan, star of The Penguin Lessons, acknowledges the challenge of competing with a charming, feathered co-star. When sharing the screen with such a charming presence, maintaining focus is no easy feat.
Debuting at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, The Penguin Lessons is set in a prestigious Argentine boarding school during the 1970s. It tells the story of a jaded teacher who experiences a moral awakening after rescuing a penguin covered in oil from a beach.
Coogan’s performance is complemented by real penguins, Papa and Richard, rather than computer-generated images. To prepare, Coogan spent several weeks bonding with these penguins before filming commenced. While some complex scenes involved a puppet or robotic penguin, the majority of the time, the actor worked with his live counterparts.
“I frequently visited the penguins’ home,” Coogan reveals. “I talked to them and held them to build familiarity. By the time we began filming, I was comfortable handling them. Saying goodbye was quite emotional. These animals have a way of reminding you to not take life too seriously and to step outside of our self-centered concerns.”
However, The Penguin Lessons is more than a feel-good story. It is set against the backdrop of Argentina’s harsh military dictatorship era, a period marked by the torture and execution of political dissidents. Initially, Coogan’s character is focused on avoiding trouble.
The penguin’s influence leads him to rekindle his sense of empathy and motivate his students to reflect on their moral values and use their advantages for the greater good. Directed by Peter Cattaneo, known for blending humor and heart in films like The Full Monty, the film was produced independently.
Coogan points out, “Penguins are rarely featured in films about human rights issues. A major studio might have exploited the penguins in a more manipulative way.” Working with the birds also kept Coogan adaptable. “Having extensive experience with improvisation has taught me to embrace the unexpected, especially when animals don’t act as anticipated. This approach often leads to some of the most memorable moments.”