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
Turner & Constable
Filmed as a supplement to a blockbuster exhibition at Tate Britain happening right now, this doc in the popular Exhibition on Screen series allows us to view these competitive, complementary English landscape artists side by side.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and Special Jury Prize Winner, Sundance, 2025, this exposé shot by a Russian primary teacher shows how the Putin propaganda machine works to militarize children.
One Battle After Another
PT Anderson's breathless satire is the best political action movie of 2025, a defiantly anti-MAGA rallying cry featuring a six pack of crackerjack performances. They'll still be talking about this one 50 years from now.
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.
The President's Cake
Nine year old Lamia and her friend Saeed venture into the city to scrounge ingredients for a cake to celebrate Sadaam Hussein's birthday — a quest fraught with real peril in precarious times. Winner, Camera d'Or, Cannes.
Sentimental Value
A once-revered director crashes back into his family’s lives, eager to recruit his daughter for a film role. When she declines, he finds a new muse in an eager but unpolished Hollywood star, sending his botched reconciliation spiraling into chaos.