From Page to Screen: Tom Michell on The Penguin Lessons

An Interview with Author of Memoir, The Penguin Lessons, Tom Michell

The film adaptation of Tim Michell’s memoir, The Penguin Lessons, starring Steve Coogan, Jonathan Pryce; Vivian El Jaber and Björn Gustafsson is a gentle, moving and life-affirming piece which tells the story of an English teacher, Tom, in Argentina whose ‘cute meet’ with a penguin transforms his and his students’ lives, during a turbulent period in Argentina’s political history. My older children and I adored the film and particularly its penguin star.

Here, I interview author, Tom Michell, to find out more about his memoir and the experience of seeing a film reflecting his life, ‘up in lights’.

The Penguin Lessons is such an original, and heartwarming story. What inspired you to share the adventure you had with penguin Juan Salvador now, in this film adaptation, bringing it to a new audience?

Nothing inspired me to make a film. I wrote a book for my children so they could tell the story of Juan Salvador to their children. I put it on Kindle so friends could read it. Within days, Animal planet came to me, then Penguin Books came to me, then 24 territories came to me to ask for translations, then Bill Nighy came to me to ask if he could do the audio, then Rory Aitkin came to me to ask to make a film. Through him, Jeff Pope the writer, Peter Cattaneo, Steve Coogan, Jonathan Pryce, etc. all came to me. The Education Dept of the Government of South Korea came to me to ask if they could incorporate it in their national curriculum (N.B. this is a higher award than any literary prize, when a nation of 50 million comes and says we want to put your book in front of our most precious asset, our young people, that outweighs any other prize!)

So I really deserve very little credit for the extraordinary flourishing of The Penguin Lessons.

How did it feel to watch your real-life experience unfold on screen, especially with Steve Coogan portraying you? Were there any moments that stood out as particularly emotional or accurate?

The penguin story is exactly as it is in the book. The Coogan character is much older and is the antithesis of me. Our ages are opposite, our motives are opposite, our experience and enthusiasm, all quite different. But when some of the biggest names in British entertainment say ‘this is what we want to do…’ one says, ‘Yes please!’

What made Juan Salvador the penguin so special, and how did the filmmakers capture that essence and his personality on screen? My children asked if he was a real penguin – I was convinced he was but do let us know?!

Penguins are highly social birds and are quite unafraid of people. Would a different penguin have had the same effect on the life of the College? I don’t know. Most of the penguin footage in the film is real penguins, one in particular, but if you are observant you’ll see it’s not the same bird all the time. One was very bidable, but others were better at jumping out of cars, etc. Any bits where it might have been unkind to use a real penguin, animatronic penguins were used. More than 90% is real Humboldt penguin footage.

Although you are depicted as older in the film, you were in your twenties when you were in Argentina teaching – what gave you the courage to rescue a penguin at such a young age?

Any decent human being would try to help an animal in distress, Age has no part in that.

The film touches on Argentina’s political turbulence in the 1970s which I felt the director Peter Cattaneo did an excellent job of portraying. The school in which you taught appeared a safe haven amongst great turmoil on the outside. The ensemble cast and their stories intertwined with yours and Juan’s, was highly emotive to watch. The pain families experienced as their loved ones were kidnapped. How were you personally impacted by the political climate at the time? It must have been frightening at times?

I was not personally affected. I kept my head down. I knew of families who had members kidnapped. The narrator of a book can describe the terrible events happening. Films have to convert the narrator’s monologue into a dialogue and things have to happen to people.

In the film, the penguin seemed to save ‘you’ in many ways. It struck me at the start when your character stated he didn’t like himself that by the end, we felt he’d undergone great transformation. It truly gave the audience hope.

I was in my early 20s and loving life. I didn’t need saving. I didn’t need a pet either! But fate made us fellow travellers. The penguin brought out the best in youngsters at the time and that was interesting and inspiring.

For young people watching the film who might be unsure of their own path, what advice would you give them? My children are environmentally-conscious and applauded you for saving the penguin when we watched the film together. It reminded them that one act can create great change.

I was conscious of the environmental damage fifty years ago. I have tried very hard throughout my life to live as sustainably as possible.

Does the film offer any lessons for those struggling to find direction?

The film is far more robust than I was in condemning fascism. I was an unknown author and I didn’t want to cause any upset between the UK and Argentina. (The politicians are quite capable of doing that themselves.)

What I am delighted with is that the mothers of the disappeared did ‘Rise like lions in unvanquishable numbers’ and their terrible pain and extraordinary bravery are recorded in the film.

Obviously, it wasn’t Juan Salvador himself on set, but do you think the actor was the Juan for the job?

The penguins simply behave as they behave. In order to get a shot of a penguin doing what the director wanted was a matter of having countless ‘takes’ until by luck, the penguin did what was wanted. Nothing was required of the penguins which wasn’t a normal part of their behaviour.

Looking back, how do you think this one penguin changed the course of your life?

Not really. The jobs I have done and the places I have lived were not affected by Juan Salvador, but…The extraordinary things that have happened in my life because of Juan Salvador, have been an extraordinary enrichment.