177. Stray; movie review

 

 

STRAY

Cert 18

72 mins

BBFC advice: Contains drugs misuse

If you are as old as me you will remember when dogs just roamed the streets while their owners were at work.

Yes, long before the Dangerous Dogs Act, it was perfectly common to see our neighbour's labrador hanging around outside a butcher's shop during the day.

And, just like us children who were out playing without any supervision, he was always back home promptly for tea.

Sadly, with dog freedom came a huge amount of excrement - indeed, it required a hop, skip and jump on pavements to avoid it.

That and the sheer number of strays precipitated the Control Of Dogs Order which was linked to the Dangerous Dogs Act that had been a response to deaths at the hands of vicious breeds.

Most countries now have their own versions of dog control, many due to the rabies outbreaks which we have managed to avoid in the UK.

Except in Turkey - as Elizabeth Lo's documentary reveals.

Apparently, the government has long wanted to rid the country of its stray dog problem but whenever there has been a concerted effort to lock up or euthanise them, significant numbers of people have protested.

Lo focuses her story on Zeytin, a stray who lives on the streets of Istanbul.

Life is seen through the eyes of the dog which initially seems easygoing, lolloping around the streets but later is seen fighting with other strays.

They are not the only group living off Instabul's scraps - their plight is mirrored against that of young Syrian refugees.

Sadly, the latter resort to glue sniffing to dull the impact of their hopeless lives in which they spent their days begging and evenings in derelict buildings.

Stray is a strange story but it poses far more questions than answers.

Specifically, from where did these dogs come? Is there an issue with rabies or even disease spread by canine excrement? Are there any attacks on people? And on and on and on.

There was also a clear need for a deeper explanation of the refugee situation in Turkey.

But the filmmaker, despite alighting upon an interesting subject, has chosen their art about illumination and left the audience hanging.

Reasons to watch: An unusual subject for a documentary

Reasons to avoid: Requires much more explanation

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? In the UK, The Control of Dogs Order 1992 This Act requires that any dog in a public place must wear a collar with the name and address of the owner engraved or written on it or a tag. This ensures a dog can be relocated with its owner efficiently and assists where a dog is involved in an accident or incident.

The final word. Elizabeth Lo: "My childhood dog, Mikey, had passed away, and I always felt like he deserved more in life. I decided to make a film that gave narrative time and space to beings like him – lives that aren’t normally seen as worthy of that kind of attention." BFI

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