1968. United States are on the verge of implosion: Martin Luther King is assassinated and racial hatreds put the country to fire and blood.
Romain Gary, who lives in Los Angeles with his wife, the actress Jean Seberg, takes in a stray dog. The dog quickly finds his place in the house, with Diego, the couple’s only son. He is affectionate with everyone. Everyone, except Black people. This is because White Dog is a dog specially trained to chase away Black protesters.
For Seberg, who is very active in the Black Panthers, it is unthinkable to keep the dog, but for Gary, it is unthinkable to shoot him.
Gary is fixated on this animal: he cannot abandon it. He entrusts him to a kennel in the hope of curing the dog of this hatred that man has embedded in his body. And it’s Keys, a black healer, who takes charge of reforming the beast. Inhabited by his own tragedy, he will not take shortcuts to do his job.
Director
Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette
Screenwriters
Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette
Valérie Beaugrand-Champagne
Associate producer
Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette
Producer
Nicole Robert
Cast
Denis Ménochet
Kacey Rohl
K.C. Collins
Peter Bryant
Jhaleil Swaby
Chip Chuipka
Laurent Lemaire
Michaëna Benoit
Pascal Tshilambo
Melissa Toussaint
Véronique Verhoeven
Executive producer
Bruno Dubé
Official selection
Filmfest Hamburg, Germany, 2022
Festival Cinemania, Canada, 2022
2023 Festival International du Film de Mons
Winner – Best screenplay
Winner – Regard Citoyen prize
2023 Canadian Screen Awards
Nomination – Best Performance in a Supporting Role – K.C. Collins
2023 Festival du film de Sept-Îles
Winner – Best Quebec film
Winner – Best directing
Winner – Audience award