In the next installment of the Murray State Cinema International's Fall 2023 season, the program presents two screenings of the 2021 Argentinian film, The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet. WKMS Student Reporter Zacharie Lamb speaks to Cinema International Director, Dr. Thérèse St. Paul, and Associate Professor of Spanish, Dr. Elena Picech, about the Cinema International program's upcoming screening.
From the MSU Cinema International website:
"Acclaimed Argentine auteur Ana Katz' funny, adventurous film follows Sebastian's peaceful life as it begins to crumble when he loses his job because of his dog's barking until, unexpectedly, a phenomenon from outer space transforms the film into a dystopian satire about the future we will leave to new generations. Photographed in stark black-and-white imagery, Katz' absurdist drama uses the small scale of one man's life to reflect upon larger ideas of memory, permanence, and the fleeting nature of time."
Picech explains that Ana Katz' work often centers around individuals in their 30s who are "facing unresolved issues and still trying to figure it out. That is the character of this film. He's a young graphic designer, so probably in his early 30s, and he comes from the challenges of any young person: trying to find a job, being able to maintain the job, relationships, relationships with the neighbors, with his family, losing your job, then what do you do, and so forth." Picech posits that the dog referenced in the film's title is less about a physical, barking dog and a metaphorical concept of one's mental health, artistic endeavors, daily life, and the balance that must be struck between all three. She describes a scene in which Sebastian tries to convince his workplace to let him bring his barking dog to work to appease his frustrated neighbors, citing Canadian laws that allow pets in the workplace despite it not being the societal norm in Argentina.
"He needs to make a decision, because he cannot leave the dog at home alone, and he cannot bring it into work. That's why he embarks on this hero's journey," Picech explains. "He leaves the city, this is Buenos Aires, a big city, and goes to the countryside. In the movie, it mentions he's in La Pampa, and from a literary point of view, this is a very mythical place for Argentinians. It signifies freedom. It's hard for him to fit into society, and there is a lot [in the film] related to the economy, about the demands of a capitalist society, the working conditions in which we live. It's embedded in the film."
St. Paul adds that The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet reminded her of a Franco-Italian cult film, Dillinger is Dead. "We follow a man through several days of his life. Of course, the film is different. But he is carried by life through one happening, one impulse, one thought, to another, in the stream of consciousness sort of way. It reminded me of the irrational parts of our lives. We're facing events, and we're carried from one to the other, and we try to make it work," she says.
"The aesthetic of the movie is trying to keep the viewer detached, in a way," Picech says, arguing that the absurdist elements of the film allow the viewer to laugh at the situation, rather than getting absorbed by it. She says the film also uses animation and its black-and-white coloring to achieve this detached affect.
"It's a good movie," St. Paul continues. "I think it's a different movie. It's a little artsy, and yet society-based."
Murray State's Cinema International presents The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet this Thursday, October 12, and Saturday, October 14, at 7:30 pm in Faculty Hall Room 208. The screenings and post-screening discussions are free and open to the public. For more information on the MSU Cinema International program, including upcoming films and how to donate, visit its website.
