White God

(Kornél Mundruczó, 2014, Hungary/Germany/Sweden, 121 minutes)

Hungarian teenager Lili (Zsófia Psotta) attaches herself to a street dog called Hagen, but her father won’t let her keep him because a new tax on mongrel dogs is viewed to be a burden. Lili and Hagen come to be separated, and thus begins Hagen on a solo quest that is as gritty as, say, Homeward Bound is family friendly. Director Kornél Mundruczó (Pieces of a Woman) is nothing if not ambitious, achieving a stunning finale that did not benefit from the use of CGI, and with Luke and Bodie, the dogs who play Hagen, being likened to the Al Pacino or Marlon Brando of dog actors. Winner of the Prize Un Certain Regard and the Palm Dog at Cannes 2014.

In Hungarian and English with English subtitles.