Penny Lane has found her new documentary muse: famed New York City owl Flaco. IndieWire can confirm that Lane is currently in production on an as-yet-untitled HBO documentary about the male Eurasian eagle-owl who gained worldwide attention after he was mysteriously set free in New York City in 2023. The “Listening to Kenny G” director Lane is helming the Flaco feature, with Gabriel Sedgwick producing. The film is a HBO Documentary Films, Sandbox Films, and Spinning Nancy production.
The official synopsis for the documentary reads: “On February 2, 2023, Flaco — a male Eurasian eagle-owl, the largest species of owl in the world — was discovered missing from his cage at the Central Park Zoo in Manhattan. The documentary follows the surprising story of what happened when Flaco, who had lived his entire life in captivity, was released in New York City to the delight, concern, and fascination of millions in the city and beyond.”
For the documentary, Lane is asking for footage from locals who witnessed Flaco in the city during the months of 2023 and 2024 when he was flying free. The film crew has also issued a call to action to enlist the public’s help in “sharing photos, videos, and personal stories” about the bird. Recently, a number of books have been published about Flaco, including “The Book of Flaco: The World’s Most Famous Bird” and “Finding Flaco: Our Year with New York City’s Beloved Owl,” and he remains an object of fascination to New Yorkers and birders alike.
“I’ve been deeply invested in Flaco from the instant my friend ran into him on the sidewalk on Fifth Avenue,” Lane said in a press statement. “I lost many nights of sleep worrying about him and made deep connections with a group of dedicated birders who documented his extraordinary adventures. It is amongst the greatest honors of my life to work with Sandbox Films and HBO to share his remarkable story with the world.”
Lane made her feature debut in 2013 with documentary “Our Nixon.” She also directed “Nuts!” (2016), “The Pain of Others” (2018), and “Hail Satan?” (2019), among other films.
Lane told IndieWire in 2021 that the through-line of her documentaries is humor. “There’s a part of me that’s related to the Satanists, ‘How about I poke this? How would people respond if I poke that?’ There’s value in going against the grain,” Lane said. “And if I don’t do it with a smile on my face, why would you listen to anything I have to say?”
She added, “Fundamentally, my people are people who make jokes in all different aspects of life. If you cannot laugh at the absurdity of life, I just can’t vibe with you.”
