Of Dogs and Men

Of Dogs and Men is framed as a fiction but is a documentary in spirit. The central figure is a fictional 16-year-old, Dar (Ori Avinoam, credited as co-writer). Dar manages to sneak into her now vacant Kibbutz, Nir Oz, to find her missing dog, though it is clear that the animal’s fate stands in for finding her missing mother, whose diary extracts are heard in voice-over throughout. Dar meets actual members of the community including Natan Bahat, an elderly man who muses about the current situation of a Palestinian friend living across the border. Dar meets Yamit Avital, a schoolteacher tidying up a now empty kindergarten and Nora Lifshitz, a woman who rescues dogs that have been stray since the attacks.
Viewer Discretion – One brief scene shows moments from the attacks and aftermath in footage glimpsed briefly on Dar’s mobile.

Preceded by SHORT FILM:

I See You

2023 | Israel | Doc | 20min | Hebrew with English subtitles
Dir: Adam Weingrod

• Winner: Best Documentary under 60 minutes, Awards of the Israeli Film Academy, 2024
A poignant portrait of Dan Layani, who, after 25 years of total blindness, regains his sight and sees his wife and four children for the very first time. However, the newfound light in Danny’s life begins to dim, taking a sharp turn.

SPONSORED BY:
Anonymous

Festivals and Awards

• Nominee: Best Film, Venice Film Festival, 2024