From PR Student to Filmmaker
When Stephanie Heredia ’83 (B.A. communications) was a student studying public relations, she didn’t envision herself trekking across the globe in pursuit of a small, 18-to-24-inch, warm-weather-dwelling penguin.
But “African penguins are just phenomenal birds. I think their size, their ability to walk upright and the fact that they’re always well-dressed did it for me,” Heredia laughed. “And they are beautiful swimmers.”
Becoming a filmmaker – she produced the recent documentary “On the Wings of Penguins” – was an evolution. “When I first graduated, I had aspirations of developing programming. I was involved in the entrepreneurial stages … before MTV, HBO and the Disney networks developed into household names,” Heredia said.
At the same time, she appreciated the different dimensions that film offered. Together with her husband and executive producer, Robert Kline, she developed a series of films, most notably one on the Kennedys.
“On the Wings of Penguins” required her to spend a year visiting zoos and aquariums, talking with marine biologists and caregivers.
“Most people don’t even realize that there are penguins in Africa,” Heredia noted. “Ironically, many of the African penguins live on Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. When the prison closed in 1993, the penguins resettled back there.” They also can be found in neighboring islands and in Namibia.
When Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, most of the marine life in the city’s Audubon Aquarium were killed. However, actress Betty White chartered a jet through the Monterey Bay Aquarium and brought the penguins there.
“I liked that,” Heredia said. “My hope is that people will find the film inspirational and spread some of that caring and kindness to animals and each other.”
Warner Home Video has released “On the Wings of Penguins” in a DVD limited edition gift set with the Academy Award-winning “March of the Penguins.”
To gain a greater appreciation of the penguins, please visit the California Academy of Sciences at www.calacademy.org, Monterey Bay Aquarium at www.montereybayaquarium.org and New England Aquarium at www.neaq.org. 
