A sick dog mysteriously appears in the clinic of a struggling vet (Kate Walsh, GREY’S ANATOMY) and tries to negotiate their own death, leading both on a surreal journey through life and mortality.
Director’s Vision for ‘The Dog’
I set out to make a film about loss, facing death and how we grapple with letting go. After being impacted by the passing of loved ones, I sought to understand the why and how of it all more deeply. I first grasped the concept of ‘gone for good’ around the age of seven, with the death of my friend’s beloved Labrador, Clyde. I hadn’t interrogated dying before then and I remember my innocent brain feeling floored by the permanence. Regardless of whether this comes as a formative experience or later in life, animals profoundly teach us about grief and loss. This inspired the initial concept of immersing the audience in a veterinary clinic to witness the poignant farewells between people and their pets, or pets and their people.
Whilst developing the script I asked a veterinarian friend about the experience of shepherding so many people through this deeply emotional moment. They introduced me to some staggering statistics that shifted my whole perspective on the story I wanted to tell inside that vet clinic. In Australia, nearly 70% of vets have lost a colleague or peer to suicide. The suicide rate is four times the general population. In America, female vets are 2.4 times more likely to commit suicide compared to the average person and male vets were 1.6 more likely. In the UK, a third of vets had significant concerns about their mental health. It presents a tragic paradox: those who provide care and solace for our pets are among the most vulnerable in our society. The issue was not unfamiliar to me; while working as a human health doctor in General Practice, my father experienced depression and burnout, prompting a significant change in career trajectory.
Through conversations with more vets and people within the industry, I learnt about the numerous factors that play into the mental health crisis in the profession. Although impossible to represent all facets in a short film set over one night shift, through the lead character of CLAIRE (played with so much depth and pathos by the incredible Kate Walsh) I wanted to explore the experience of being the anchor in other people’s storms whilst enduring a private struggle.
Tonally, I aimed to fully immerse the audience in the narrative’s world, beginning with the intense emotional reality of the opening euthanasia scene. I wanted to make viewers feel as though they were physically present in the room, intimately witnessing a profoundly personal moment in someone’s life, blurring the lines between observer and participant in such a raw experience. It was crucial to depict Claire as proficient in her role during this scene, showcasing her professionalism amidst personal struggles. She emerges as a solid and supportive mentor to student Joe (Justin Amankwah), exhibits compassion as a technician to her clients, and serves as a guardian for Dax the dog’s peaceful transition. Highlighting this was important to me, acknowledging that poor mental well-being is multifaceted. Although we glimpse various stressors impacting Claire’s mental state, there is no single cause to pinpoint.
In the surreal encounter with the white dog, my goal was to create an atmosphere reminiscent of a vivid dream, blurring the boundaries between the fantastical and the real. In this dream-like state, the decisions made feel intensely consequential, as if they have the power to influence actual events, despite the inherent improbability of talking animals. This blending of reality and fantasy was crafted to engage the audience deeply on an emotional level, and to uncover the pressures of Claire’s role as facilitator of humane death whilst questioning the choice of life for herself.
While the film explores the specific struggles of a vet at work, I hope it offers a message of hope to anyone grappling with their own “dog”. We are not alone in our fights; through empathy, understanding, and shared resilience, we can extend support to one another through life’s darkest moments.
