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Black Dog

Hu Guan
festival
Fri 25 Apr 25 - Sun 4 May 25
  • Caution with children up to 16 years of age

After the impressive first half hour, Black Dog slowly transforms into a relationship drama, where an eccentric man tries to connect with his family, friends, enemies, and his new four-legged companion: a black dog.

Somewhere in the steppes of Northwest China, hundreds of dogs run down a mountain toward a remote road, where a bus overturns. Among those crawling out of the wreckage is Lang, a mysterious, silent, ex-convict returning home after 10 years. Along with a black dog, he tries to reconnect with his friends and family.

Black Dog begins with all the characteristics of a western. The film takes place in a desolate town where villains roam free, and it seems to have all the makings of a political allegory, as the story could also be seen as a commentary on the clash between reality and dreams in 21st-century China. However, it soon becomes clear that Guan Hu's film is neither of these things.

direction
Hu Guan
cast
Zhangke Jia, Jing Liang, Eddie Peng
duration
116 min
year
2024
country
China
language
Mandarin
Subtitles
French, Dutch
  • Caution with children up to 16 years of age
part of

Regisseur

Hu Guan

director

"Quiet Canine Drama is an Evocative Triumph." – The Indiependent