Just weeks after the attacks of October 7, Dani Rosenberg began filming OF DOGS AND MEN. Though the story of protagonist Dar is fictional the set, the destroyed Kibbutz Nir Oz, located just a few hundred meters from the border with the Gaza Strip, is very real. Whilst searching for her dog, Dar becomes part of an everyday life - one populated by soldiers, neighbours, and forensic scientists - now heavily militarised. These fleeting encounters reflect the traumatic experiences and transformation experienced by the once peaceful kibbutz. TikTok videos depict how innocent people in Israel and Gaza are affected. And yet amidst the rubble, there are also moments of hope, as Dar encounters a courageous volunteer rescuing animals from the exclusion zones. With its simple and poetic narrative, OF DOGS AND MEN proves itself a striking time capsule of the events – the absence of pathos lending it all the more resonance.
Text: Esther Göttert
Following all screenings there will be a Q&A with the director Dani Rosenberg.