‘My Penguin Friend’: An Interview with Producer Jonathan Lim

Based on a remarkable true story, My Penguin Friend is an inspirational, family-friendly film about an unexpected relationship between a grieving man and a lost penguin. The film hits theaters on August 16^th (you can read our review here).  

Prior to the film’s release, we chatted with Jonathan Lim (the producer of the film and the founder of the City Hill Arts production company) about his new film, how God led him into the film industry, the importance of positive movies, and how his Christian faith influences everything he does.       

(Note: this interview has been edited for length and clarity. Watch the full conversation above.)    

Daniel Blackaby: You’ve had a unique journey that led you into the film industry, having had a successful career in the business world, primarily in medicine.  

Jonathan Lim: Yeah, for sure. I grew up in San Diego and just loved the movies. I remember falling in love with Star Trek when it came out in the 70s and then the awe and wonder of seeing the world that George Lucas had built. I was hooked as a kid, but I also loved science. 

For the last two decades, I’ve been a serial entrepreneur in the biotech industry. In 2018, my company Ignita was acquired by Roche, and it gave me the opportunity to take a sabbatical and really pray and reflect and see what God’s plan was for me for the next half of my life. And he put on my heart this idea of telling inspiring stories that can revitalize people, planet, and perspective. That’s the mission at City Hill Arts. I started that in 2018, and for the last six years have been working on different stories of the triumph of the human spirit and the beauty that unites us as human beings. Out of that came projects like My Penguin Friend.  

DB: I read in a previous interview where you said the goal for the films you make is to spotlight “stories of transformation, or everyday people trying to do extraordinary things.” Why are those types of stories important to tell today?  

JL: Negative news rises to the top, and it sells. But I think we need more positive news to balance things out. Positive stories of hope, triumph, friendship, love, kindness, and compassion are everywhere if we look for them. We would love to be able to focus on the positive. We have a number of movies that have different themes, but they are all about what unites us as human beings and stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, whether they’re based on true stories or inspired by true stories, like My Penguin Friend.  

DB: The penguin is adorable. Was a real penguin used for the movie? 

JL: Funny story, Daniel. There were 10 real penguins cast in the role. Penguins have different personalities, believe it or not. And they can be moody. If you put a penguin in there and the penguin is not particularly hungry and doesn’t really want to cooperate, then you need to have a backup penguin. So, we had 10 rescue penguins from Ubatuba, Brazil. Where you see a penguin in the movie, 80 percent are real. But you never want to put penguins in peril, so 15 percent were CGI and then 5 percent were animatronics.  

DB: This movie stars actor Jean Reno, who has had a very long, successful career. Can you share a bit about his performance and the boon to get an actor of his quality in this film?  

JL: Oh, that’s really what brought this all together. I’ve been a huge fan of Leon ever since The Professional came out many years ago. Jean was able to act in a very powerful way, non-verbally and verbally. His face is so emotive. He was top of our list, and we were so honored that he decided to take the role. It is such a beautiful performance. I’m glad you flagged that, because I think people enjoy the human performances almost as much as the penguin performances. 

DB: This movie has a gentle, peaceful tone, despite the fact that it deals with some serious themes of grief, loss, and healing. Did you have a clear sense for the storytelling approach ahead of time, or did that come out based on the story you were telling?  

JL: We wanted it to be a blend of artistic and commercial. We really wanted this to appeal to as broad an audience as possible. I’ve heard rave feedback from people in their seventies and eighties down to six, seven, eight-year-olds. We had a vision for the visual storytelling. And it’s really the vast cinematic scope of Patagonia, Argentina, coupled by the intimacy of some of the shots in Brazil, with the beautiful Brazilian beaches of Ubatuba and the coastline. The secret sauce was Anthony Dodd Mantle. He’s the cinematographer that won the Academy Award for his work on Slumdog Millionaire. We were thrilled to recruit him to My Penguin Friend.  

DB: I know you’re a Christian. This movie doesn’t have many overt religious components, but it has edifying and redemptive themes about love, joy, and healing. How did your faith influence this film?  

JL: My Christian faith is at the center of everything I do across work and life. I became a Christian in my late twenties after graduating from medical school. It’s been an amazing walk over the last couple decades. In fact, City Hill Arts is named after Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world, a city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” It’s at the center of everything I do. It’s at the center of the stories I want to tell. Even if it’s not a faith-based film, it’s faith driven or faith influenced or faith friendly.  

I had faith-based conversations with people on set that were so deep and meaningful, it was unbelievable. And then just being very open about who I am and where I’m coming from and seeking understanding of people of all faiths in their work in this industry. I think that authenticity resonates with people, and it certainly did on the set. I think the result speaks for itself in terms of God’s fingerprints all over this. 

DB: Beyond box office success or positive critical reviews, what do you hope audiences who see this film will take away from that experience?  

JL: I think a key theme here is the power of love, kindness, and friendship to transform this broken family. And then there’s this broader theme of how God calls us to be wise stewards of this beautiful planet and its inhabitants, including animals and, importantly, each other.  

DB: Thank you so much for joining me. I wish you all the best with this film release.  

JL: Thank you, Daniel. I really enjoyed our conversation.