Penguin Meets Curmudgeon in 'My Penguin Friend'

Among tales of remarkable human-animal friendships, few true stories have been as mysterious, or as profoundly touching, as that of the little Magellanic penguin who crossed the vast ocean, again and again, of his own accord, to visit the curmudgeonly fisherman who rescued him from peril.

This "penguin out of water" tale comes to theaters and streaming services as an emotional and poignant family adventure, a journey of friendship, courage, compassion and the power of love to reach across even the greatest emotional and oceanic distances.

Shot amid the tropical coasts of Brazil and vibrant penguin colonies of Patagonia, "My Penguin Friend" breaks the mold by featuring live penguins performing alongside a global cast led by international screen star Jean Reno and Oscar-nominated Adriana Barraza.

The film's challenging passage to the screen began in May 2011 when real-life fisherman João Pereira De Souza happened upon a lone young penguin stranded on the beach of Ilha Grande near Rio de Janeiro. Caught in an oil spill, the creature's small, rotund body had been nearly smothered under a layer of thick, toxic goop.

João could not turn his back on this innocent bird harmed by human carelessness and in such dire straits. So, he did the only thing he could: he took the little penguin home where he carefully cleaned its sticky feathers and tried to nurse the bird back to health.

Naming the penguin "DinDim" (pronounced Jin-Jin) after a child's mispronunciation of the Portuguese "pinguim," João certainly did not expect this wild animal to stay housebound for long.

In fact, João tried early on to release DinDim back into the ocean, walking away thinking he'd done everything possible. But later that same day, he heard the penguin's inimitable squeak in his backyard. The penguin had somehow known how to get back to João's neighborhood. DinDim continued to resist leaving João's home for some time, and the two grew closer and closer.

When DinDim finally decided he was ready to swim away - likely headed 3,000 miles to Patagonia, at the tip of Argentina where Magellanic penguins raise their families - João expected this was the surely the last he'd see of his unusual feathered friend.

He was wrong again. To his astonishment, the following summer, right around his birthday, out-of-the-blue, João heard that telltale squeak in the yard.

There was DinDim, having crossed unknown ocean distances. No doubt, DinDim had tapped into a penguin's unique geolocation skills.

Since then, DinDim has returned to see João every June, year after year, finding his way, no matter the obstacles.