Dog (2002)
"Inja" (original title)

Using a Xhosa boy as a pawn, a farmer teaches his puppy to be white man's best friend. Ten years later, both their lives hang in the balance at the mercy of the dog.

Director:

Steve Pasvolsky

Writer:

Steve Pasvolsky

Stars:

Anele Vellom, Lizo C. Makambi, Danny Keogh

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Anele Vellom	...	Young Thembile
Lizo C. Makambi	...	Older Thembile
Danny Keogh	...	Johannes
Terry Norton	...	Hettie
Mantoa 'Kuku' Mamputa	...	Angelina
Nomasomi Fini	...	Dora
Kulule Salman	...	Friend on bicycle

Storyline

In South Africa, not long before apartheid ends, a Xhosa lad of about 12, Thembile, gets a new puppy. They're quickly fast friends, until the White landowner sets up an incident of cruelty to the dog that Thembile realizes will turn the dog against him. Jump ahead ten years, Thembile is a strapping young man, the dog is full grown, and the boss is aging. The three of them go off to mend some fencing. When a problem arises, chickens come home to roost.

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Plot Keywords:

dog | puppy | boss | boy | apartheid | 

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Genres:

Drama | Short

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Details

Country:

Australia South Africa

Language:

Afrikaans English

Release Date:

January 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dog

Company Credits

Production Co:

Big World Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

17 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

Why didn't this win the Oscar?

Because it was too depressing? It was brutal to watch--I had to hide my face for much of the movie. But its truth was undeniable and so, so painful. It worked on so many levels. At the end you can almost fool yourself that it ended differently... I think it should have won. The movie that did win confronted racism in a sweet, unthreatening way, and was very frothy; this one was more difficult, and tougher to watch--well, I suppose it had less appeal for that reason. Feh.