Guan Hu’s film, winner of the Prix Un Certain Regard at Cannes, tells the story of two discontented souls and the bond that grows between them. The action takes place in 2008, as the Beijing Summer Olympics approach; following a stint in prison, Lang (Eddie Peng) returns to his hometown to find that it’s been marked for demolition as part of an “economic development plan”. Among the abandoned buildings roam hundreds of stray dogs; one of them, an ill-tempered hound, becomes Lang’s adversary and then, over the course of the film, his dear companion.
Black Dog is a mellow, moody film, but it certainly doesn’t lack tension. From the mystery of what Lang’s actual crime was to his pursuit by a vengeful butcher to the fear of canine attack, there are strong currents of suspense running through the film. Add canny allegorical gestures, beautifully panoramic imagery, a strong lead performance, and wonderful use of Pink Floyd and you’ve got a winner—a soulful, quietly powerful affirmation of hope.
Un Certain Regard Prize, Cannes 2024
Media Partner
Eddie Peng, Tong Liya, Jia Zhangke, Zhang Yi, Zhou You
China
2024
In Chinese with English subtitles
At the Rio
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Liang Jing
Producer
Zhu Wenjiu
Screenwriter
Guan Hu, Ge Rui, Wu Bing
Cinematography
Gao Weizhe
Editor
Matthieu Laclau, He Yongyi
Production Design
Huo Tingxiao
Original Music
Breton Vivian
Guan Hu
Renowned Chinese director Guan Hu, a Beijing Film Academy graduate, is acclaimed for his distinct style and humanistic approach. His breakthrough came in 2009 with Cow, winning Best Adapted Screenplay at the Golden Horse Film Awards. His 2015 film Mr. Six was a box-office hit in China, grossing over 1 billion yuan, and was the closing film at the Venice Film Festival. Guan Hu’s 2020 epic The Eight Hundred was a global box office sensation. He also co-directed the commemorative films My People, My Country (2019) and The Sacrifice (2020).
Filmography: Cow (2009); The Chef, The Actor, The Scoundrel (2013); Mr. Six (2015); The Eight Hundred (2020)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Cold War
This month's Talking Pictures screening (coffee and cookies on the house!) is a Polish love story about a musical director who falls under the spell of a singer while on a Communist-sponsored mission to package native folk songs for the social good.
Spring After Spring
Three daughters strive to live up to the standards set by their mother Marie Mimi Ho, and keep Vancouver Chinatown's Spring Parade going through thick and thin, in this enormously affectionate local documentary by Jon Chiang.
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes
A beautiful portrait of E.J. Hughes, who quietly helped reshape the artistic landscape of British Columbia in the 20th century. This extraordinary documentary explores Hughes’s legacy not only as an artist, but as a devoted, humble human being.
Montreal, ma belle
In this Valentine to discovering love later in life, the ever-elegant Joan Chen plays Feng Xia, a 53-year-old Chinese immigrant and mother in Montreal whose world is turned upside down when she meets and falls in love with a young Quebecoise.
Sirât
A desperate father (Sergi Lopez) searchers for his missing daughter through the spiritual wasteland of the Moroccan desert. An unforgettable sensory powerhouse, Sîrat will have you riveted and rattled for hours after the end credits have rolled.
