Chien blanc

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

Images