Of Dogs and Men

Post-screening discussion with director Dani Rosenberg

Filmmaker Dani Rosenberg dives headfirst into the psychological horrors of our contemporary world with this experiential dramatic account of a teenager in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7 attacks in Israel. Using lightweight, handheld video cameras, Rosenberg stays close to his protagonist, a 16-year-old survivor named Dar (Ori Avinoam), who has returned home to her kibbutz in search of her lost dog. The film takes a humanist approach to the ongoing conflict, reckoning with both the horrifying losses within her Jewish community and the imminent tragic violence of retribution in Gaza. Of Dogs and Men was filmed in late October 2023, in the immediacy of the confusion and terror, and Rosenberg’s realism extends to casting (other than Avinoam, the performers are nonprofessional), actual locations, and improvised dialogue. Note: some images may be disturbing.