Today, I went to a movie theater and watched “The Penguin Lessons”. The film is about a British teacher who taught English in Argentina in the 1970s. During a trip to Uruguay, he visited a beach where many penguins had been killed after being soaked in oil. Among them, he found one penguin that was still alive and rescued it. The penguin began to follow him everywhere, and eventually he brought it back to the school, where it became surprisingly popular.
At first, I found the penguin actor adorable and laughed at several comedic scenes. However, the story gradually became more serious. Many characters in the film struggle with their lives, and the movie conveys the harsh realities of Argentina during the 1976 military coup.
Frankly speaking, some of the lines from English poets quoted by the British teacher deeply struck me. I now feel that I’d like to read The Masque of Anarchy by Shelley someday.
Dec 15, 2025