In February 2023, an Eurasian Eagle-Owl named Flaco escaped from the Central Park Zoo and set off on an odyssey through Manhattan.
Wild Inside, Penny Lane’s feature documentary about Flaco, will have its world premiere on Wednesday, July 29, in New York’s Central Park as a special outdoor screening, free and open to the public.
The screening is presented by Sandbox Films in association with the office of New York City Council Member Gale A. Brewer and the Central Park Conservancy, and presented in partnership with Rooftop Films. The film will open at Manhattan’s IFC Center on Friday, July 31, and play at over 40 theaters nationwide, including a series of one-off screenings for International Owl Awareness Day on August 4, along with standard theatrical engagements.
Wild Inside charts Flaco’s journey from captivity as he learns how to survive in the Big Apple, claiming Manhattan as his wild kingdom. With a trove of stunning footage from NYC birders, Lane characteristically uses Flaco’s story to explore deeper questions at the heart of a cultural phenomenon: Is freeing an animal raised in captivity in its best interest? Is there any real distinction between “zoo animals” and “wild animals”? How can we be better to our nonhuman neighbors?
The remarkable story of Flaco is told by a chorus of besotted New Yorkers, citizen scientists, and wildlife experts, with touching testimonies about what Flaco came to embody: an internationally renowned icon of freedom.
“There is a fable-like quality to Flaco’s story, in part because he’s so adorable, but even more so because this was an owl on a quest. Suddenly, this 13-year-old bird born in captivity had a day where he got to decide what to do, where to be, what to eat, and so on. What would he choose to do? Flaco was writing his own story and the rest of us were just watching,” said director Penny Lane.
Watch the official trailer for Wild Inside above.
Free tickets for the Central Park screening can be found here.
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