by Gill Pringle
Struggling to come to terms with an accident that had rendered her to life in a wheelchair, an injured baby magpie would change ocean-loving Sam Bloom’s life forever after her family brought the chick home.
It was eight years ago that the Blooms – Sam and her husband Cameron [pictured with the film’s writer Harry Cripps (second from left) and producer Emma Cooper (far right)], and their three sons – took a family holiday in Thailand; devastated after Sam accidentally fell through a rotting balcony, shattering her spine.
Back home in Sydney, professional photographer Cam began documenting the baby magpie, which the family named Penguin, on Instagram and later in a best-selling book. The bird helped bring Sam out of her depression, giving her the courage to return to the water, first kayaking and canoeing and later back on a surfboard.
The Blooms’ story would ultimately find its way into the hands of Aussie film producers Emma Cooper (pictured right in main image) and Bruna Papandrea, and director Glendyn Ivin.
With Naomi Watts and Andrew Lincoln portraying Sam and Cam Bloom, the real life couple refuse to get all starry as they talk on the eve of Penguin Bloom’s release.
Sam, how did you feel when the world began to know your story via Instagram following your accident in 2013?
Sam: When we first found Penguin and Cam started shooting photos, mainly of Penguin on me, I would always ask him to not show the wheelchair. I was embarrassed that I was stuck in a wheelchair, so I always asked him to hide the chair.
Cam: I sometimes snuck it in, but I never made light of the fact of Sam’s accident – it was just very much focused on the bird and Penguin’s interaction with our family.
Did the spotlight bring about unwelcome attention in any way?
Sam: At the beginning it wasn’t like that, but once ABC did a story about us, that’s when it started getting a bit crazy. I think it’s quite funny – like, I’ll go to the shops and people would come up and go, ‘Are you Penguin’s mum?’ I think it was nice. It didn’t bother me at all because people were so lovely.
The accident happened on January 7, 2013 and here we are now in January 2020 and the movie is about to be released. Is that a bittersweet anniversary for you?
Cam: It’s not really a happy anniversary for sure, but the premiere gives us a new January date to focus on.
Sam: I don’t think Cam even remembers it was on Jan 7?
Cam: I did. I just didn’t say.
Sam: Even my mum and sister – I spoke to them on that day – they didn’t remember it or else they didn’t talk about.
Your recovery is such an inspiring story and you’ve since gone on to win lots of awards – and yet the Penguin Bloom movie does not focus much on your achievements. The director Glendyn Ivin told me that you didn’t want an over-the-top “Hollywood” ending to your story. Can you talk about that?
Sam: When I spoke to the producer Bruna Papandrea, I said, ‘I want it to be real and honest’, which they’ve kept to. I did say I don’t want it all happy, pretending that everything’s great because that’s not how I feel. Yes, it gets better, but it will always be a bit of a struggle.
But it’s amazing how you’ve overcome this and done so well being back in the water and winning all these awards. I think audiences want to cheer you on for that.
Cam: And now they can…
Sam: I’ve been lucky. I was lucky I got into the kayaking after I got home from hospital. That was a bit of a lifesaver – and then with the surfing, which is great because Cam and I are almost like a team, because we compete together and he pushes me on the waves and that is so fun.
Cam: And what’s really fun is that we get to travel again because I guess after Sam’s accident, she thought she’d never travel again and that was always something we loved doing. And it just proves that having that goal and determination, and Sam’s pretty feisty, so it means that we can still get to do what we’ve always loved doing and that is traveling and seeing the world and meeting people.
Your three sons must have given you so much support. How old are they now?
Sam: Reuben is almost 19, Noah Is 17 and Oli is 15. Reuben has his own business making homewares like coffee tables and candle holders.
Cam: They’re all very creative, which is great.
Sam: Reuben is just like his dad in that he’s quite creative and he’s an extrovert unlike his mum who is an introvert!
As a trained nurse Sam, did you consider going back to work because you would bring so much empathy to other people suffering similar trauma?
Sam: No, not really. I actually stopped nursing when I had the kids so I hadn’t actually nursed for ten years. I wasn’t registered as a nurse anymore so I would have had to gone back to university to study again. I had a great life as a stay-at-a-home mum. I was very lucky.
And you’ve continued nursing birds after Penguin flew the nest?
Sam: Yes, we have another little magpie now.
Cam: It’s been really lovely continuing on the relationship with nature. Our latest magpie is called Van because he was found on the day Eddie Van Halen died.
Sam, what was the worst moment during your recovery?
Sam: Probably when I first came home from the hospital, because I think that’s when the reality really hit and I was like ‘This is my new life.’ And to be honest, I didn’t really like that it was my home because I couldn’t just run around and do mum things like clean the house, make the beds and go shopping.
Cam: The boys would leave stuff on the floor and Sam wouldn’t be able to get over it…
Sam: I personally felt very disconnected from everything and everyone and from the local community. Because we live so near the beach, everyone is very outdoorsy and spends so much time at the beach and going surfing and I just felt like I was no longer a part of that. That’s why I hid myself at home a lot at first, because it was almost like I was protecting myself in my own little bubble. And when people would pop in – which was really lovely – they would say thinks like ‘I just had the most beautiful swim at the beach’ and I just didn’t want to hear that. I felt really ripped off because I should also be down at the beach having beautiful swims.
What was it like getting to know Naomi and Andrew?
Sam: They were the nicest people and so compassionate and mindful and down-to-earth.
Cam: We couldn’t ask for more beautiful people to play us. They didn’t act like stars or anything – just nice, family people like us with kids of their own so we’re very grateful to have them be part of our journey.
Cam, were you surprised to have a Brit play you rather than an Australian?
Cam: No, not at all. He’s super good looking, so of course I’m happy. To be honest it all felt like serendipity. Andy had the book and knew the story, so we were very lucky.
Penguin Bloom is in cinemas January 21, 2021
