Flaco — the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo in 2023 and became an unlikely symbol of self-reliance before dying a year later from rat poison and pigeon herpes — is now the subject of a feature documentary, and it’s screening in New York this week. “Wild Inside,” directed by Penny Lane, had its free world premiere in Central Park on July 29 and is now playing at Manhattan’s IFC Center, with showings around the country timed to International Owl Awareness Day on Aug. 4. Lane says the film captures Flaco’s full year on the lam and digs into the questions his story opened up: what happened before he arrived in New York, his family tree, the ethics of zoos, and the natural history of Eurasian eagle-owls generally. Flaco’s afterlife has already included books, a museum exhibition, flash tattoos, and endless merch — now there’s a feature film to add to the pile. Catch it at IFC Center while it’s in town.
The Flaco the Owl Documentary 'Wild Inside' Is Screening in NYC This Week
Penny Lane's Flaco the owl documentary 'Wild Inside' premiered free in Central Park and is now at IFC Center, with International Owl Awareness Day screenings Aug 4.