This week’s Trailer Tuesday hits close to home! It comes from our good friend and producer Patrick Reasonover at Ozymandias Pictures, which has just released the first trailer for their new documentary “Of Dogs and Men.” No, this is not a sequel, reboot or modern re-telling of “Of Mice and Men.” This is real life, people!
Given the first few seconds of this trailer, you might think you’re about to watch another PSA for abused dogs narrated by Sarah McLachlan — but we soon realize that this deals with something much more realistic and dangerous.
Several men and woman tell their testimonies of what happened in their individual situations. They emotionally describe the stories of how their dogs were shot by police officers during home “visits”…invasions?
Real footage shows instances where officers were using deadly force against the canines, but in self-defense? It almost seems to paint law enforcement in a negative light, but one man in particular vows “…there are two sides to every story.” Luckily, this comes in time to balance out the story so as not to come off as one-sided. The interviews and news footage continue to show us dramatic, yet unfortunately realistic, situations where these acts are violently committed against seemingly innocent animals. The ambiguous ending to the trailer leaves one wondering…who is in the wrong and can these acts be justified?
The trailer did a great job of portraying this epidemic in an effective way that resonated with me personally, as a self-proclaimed dog lover. The use of the real documented footage instantly sends chills down my spine, as the only time this type of footage is seen anymore is to show when some terrible event was captured on film. It’s like our minds have been conditioned to fear this type of visual. The music here is also haunting and doesn’t let you forget that what you’re watching is not to be laughed at. The risk here is that the story could be conveyed as overzealous or emotionally driven from a political stance, but the insertion of the officer’s interview claiming that there are two sides to every story will hopefully bring a balance.
For more information on the doc, check out Ozymandias’ website here!
