Movies are a powerful medium for storytelling. They evoke emotions, convey messages, and explore complex themes in a visually compelling and accessible way. Personally, I find great interest in watching films that center around the personal journeys of characters, showcasing their growth, challenges, and transformative experiences. Such narratives offer valuable insights into the human experience, fostering relatability and empathy as we connect with the characters’ struggles, joys, and profound moments of self-discovery. Penguin Bloom (released in 2020; available on Netflix) is one such movie through which I was taken on a journey alongside the main character, Samantha Bloom.
Samantha Bloom was vacationing with her husband and their three young sons in Thailand when she suffered a devastating accident. While on an observation deck at their hotel, Bloom leaned against a faulty balcony railing and fell through it, landing 20 feet below on the concrete ground. She fractured her skull, ruptured her lungs, and shattered her spine. The film follows Bloom and her family in the months after the accident as they struggle to adjust to their new normal. Sam (Naomi Watts), who is now paralyzed from the chest down uses a wheelchair, and longs to be the active and independent mother she once was. But, she’s forced to rely on others for everything. She’s depressed and isolating herself from her loved ones, But things start to change for the better once an injured baby magpie named Penguin is fatefully brought into her life. The tiny bird had fallen out of its nest and dropped over 60 feet onto an asphalt parking lot, where she would have died had the Bloom family not taken her home.
As Sam nurses Penguin back to health, an unspoken connection forms between them. Penguin’s fight for survival mirrors Sam’s own battle to regain her sense of self. Through loving and caring for the injured bird, Sam discovers a renewed sense of purpose and resilience within herself. Penguin’s increasing independence and growth, inspire Sam to pursue her own aspirations. Despite the difficulties inherent in her condition, Sam embraces kayaking as a means of physical activity and empowerment. Kayaking presents a unique challenge for Sam, as she must rely solely on her upper body and arms for propulsion without the support of her torso. When Sam finds it hard to get moving, Penguin sings her energy levels up. Sam perseveres. Her hard work and renewed passion for water sports ultimately led to a remarkable achievement—earning a place on the Australian ParaCanoe team in 2015. She goes on to compete for the team in the world championships that year in Milan. The day Bloom leaves for the competition, Penguin flies away for a final time into the endless blue sky which is always hers by birth.
As I reflect on the story, I am reminded of the powerful statement made by Sam in an interview: “I didn’t realize it at the time, but, in a way, we were keeping each other alive.” This poignant realization encapsulates the transformative power of love that unfolded throughout Sam’s journey with Penguin. Despite the pain and suffering, their connection was fueled by love. Yes, Love amidst the deepest pain can mend fractured hearts. When we embrace the purest form of love, even in our deepest moments of hurt, we open ourselves to extraordinary healing and transformation. Within the depths of life’s profound wounds, a perfect harmony between love and healing awaits, offering us the chance to uncover peace. Like in this story, in my life too, healing came through an unexpected friend whose love, kindness, and innocence showed the way back to myself. As I write this article, I pray she remains the same sweet person she was then despite the crashing world around her now.
Article dedicated to Him who is the source of pure love and perfect healing.
“Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things”.