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Elizabeth Lo, the writer/director/editor/cinematographer, presents several quotes from the ancients in white type over a series of black screens, starting with Diogenes’ remark that “human beings live artificially and hypocritically,” and that they would do well to “study the dog.” So Lo does, but not in Hong Kong, where she was raised, or in the United States, where she studied cinema. Instead, she goes to Istanbul, Turkey, where stray dogs were once killed. Not long ago, protests brought an end to the strategy. It is now illegal to euthanize or confine any stray canine.
This produces a less-than-ideal environment for such creatures. Humans in most international cultures regard cats as largely self-sufficient, which was part of the appeal of “Kedi,” a 2016 documentary about Istanbul’s street cats. However, because dogs are more overtly social creatures with a proclivity to be involved with, or reliant on, people, stray dogs can be more poignant than stray cats.
Zeytin, the sturdy mutt who is the first of three canines we meet in this often camera-to-the-ground portrait, is a soulful-looking beast who appears to be a heartbreaker at first sight. She runs around, climbs a hill, sniffs the buttocks of a canine with an owner, and then romps with that creature for a while. She then accompanies a group of street urchins to a construction site to huff glue and nod off. She encounters Nazar, who becomes her running partner. Kartal, a small black-and-white charmer who appears to prefer sitting and flopping, is the third canine.
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Their encounters with others are quite sad. Some mock them as they rummage through garbage cans. When a couple of visitors see Zeytin defecating on the grass, they start yelling at her. It takes a while for the viewer to understand that this cannot possibly hurt Zeytin’s feelings.
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This is related to the Diogenes statement. It’s all well and good to pretend piety over the fact that dogs are more themselves than humans, and one thing this film tries to do is make you forget these differences in behavior are for pretty fundamental reasons, one of which is the rather distinct difference between human consciousness and that of other mammals.
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Dogs are genuine because they don’t have much of an option. And when we see, say, Kartal appear to pass out for unknown reasons—is the canine sick or just tired?—we may question the filmmakers’ actions. You know how many movies conclude with the disclaimer that “no animals were harmed” during production? I was wondering if “Stray” would conclude with a “no animals were helped” message. Lo obviously wishes to make a point, but this picture left me with some questions. And I remembered a remark made by music critic Robert Christgau, a metaphor addressing a type of creative preciousness: “If I found a cat trapped in a washing machine, I wouldn’t set up a recording studio there—I’d just open the door.”
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