Netflix & Change - September 2021 Edition

Written by Daryll Williams

Historically, our planet’s coastlines have been places of fun, relaxation, and tremendous scenery. However, just like any other natural area in the modern age, they are subject to change. Today, our coastlines are plagued by multiple pressures, including habitat loss and degradation, pollution, overexploitation of marine wildlife, climate change, and natural hazards.

In the spirit of Viatu’s ethos (and international Coastal Clean-Up Day later this month!), we’re honing in on the topic of our coastlines and some of the sustainable stories that take place in and around them.

So without further ado, let’s continue the conversation… 💭

September’s Binge: Penguin Town

“There are a lot of movies about penguins.”

This month we’re going all the way south to the coastal retreat of Simon’s Town in South Africa. This little seaside gem is famed for many things, including boulders, the South African Navy, and — you guessed it — penguins!

There has been a colony of African Penguins at the town’s famed Boulders Beach since 1985. And they make up 1 of only 3 penguin populations on mainland southern Africa.

Each summer, the penguins take over beaches, streets, and even car parks in a quest to breed, bringing the town to a near standstill with their often-hilarious antics as they cause traffic jams, traipse through picnics, and create general mayhem. The show features birds in many unusually cosmopolitan spots while simultaneously illustrating what happens when certain injured penguins are rehabilitated and released back into the wild. However, the series hones in on 3 sets of penguins: a veteran couple dubbed “The Bougainvilleas”, a pair of newlyweds dubbed “The Culverts”, and “Junior,” a young bird on his own for the first time.

The sustainability factor

Overall: 3/5

Sustainability makes up a large portion of Penguin Town - mainly focusing on these endangered penguins’ struggles to procreate. However, a significant part of the conversation around sustainability is derived from the central narrative. Sadly commercial fishing, marine pollution, and habitat destruction have taken a toll on the local colony over time. In 1910, it was estimated that there were approximately 1.5 million African Penguins; a century later, the aquatic bird was classified as an endangered species. By 1982 only 2 breeding pairs were remaining. However, incredible conservation efforts have grown the Boulders colony to over 3.000 birds in recent years. If you’re interested in the continued plight of an endangered species, especially as they continue to cross paths with humans, this is the show for you.

Overall, we’re ranking this one a 3 on our sustainable scale. Economic factors are largely unaddressed, but social and environmental ones are central to the overarching story. And while a call to action isn’t the focus of the show, it leaves much food for thought about how we can create more harmonious spaces for our wildlife to survive and thrive.

The Viatu review

Themes

The big sustainability themes are ever-present throughout, with large focuses on climate change, urbanisation, and wildlife. And while Penguin Town might just be seen as another comforting tv show, it truly encompasses the spirit of penguins. These creatures fall over a hundred times and cover very little distance on their 8-inch legs, but they never give up.

Production

Patton Oswalt brings terrific narration to the show, resulting in an easygoing, fun watch. Too many nature docs take themselves too seriously, making for movies and shows that are difficult to get through unless you have a genuine fascination for the featured animals. What Penguin Town does is follow the tradition that these animals — and in this case, the humans interacting with them — can be funny as well as graceful. Informing while entertaining is the key, and this show definitely gives us a picture of a type of penguin we’ve never seen before.

What makes it different

How do you make an 8-episode, 4-hour docuseries of penguins exciting? Personify them into characters, of course! Many nature films do this. But Penguin Town really leans into it, giving each character their graphic and backstory. It’s one thing to call a penguin by a human name, but making one couple the “Bougainvilleas” is a step beyond. Furthermore, Junior’s struggle to shed the last of his babyfur, and the Culverts’ land dispute with the other penguins, make for equally engrossing viewing. When something tragic does happen (this is still a wildlife show, after all), we’re that much more invested, as we’ve now spent nearly 4 hours with these adorable, flightless birds.

September’s Netflix & Change is all about inspirational entertainment. And very little can hold up to wildlife’s resilience in the face of so many economic, social, and environmental challenges. If that doesn’t inspire you, what will?

If you have a Netflix suggestion for us, drop us a DM on Instagram or check out our blog if you’re craving greater dialogue.