Educational Media Reviews Online

Istanbul is known for its place in history as the connecting point between East and West. Steeped in tradition, the city is visited by countless visitors who look up at the Galata Tower and the domes of Sinan’s mosques. This film shifts our focus to understand an aspect of Turkish life closer to the ground, the lives of the innumerable street dogs that live in the city’s public spaces and thrive, in spite of periodic efforts over centuries by rulers and municipal agencies to banish them.

Stray dogs and cats are welcome in Istanbul, with residents feeding them, playing with them, and treating them as neighbors and friends. They affectionately recollect stories of the dogs over the years, and listening to them speak is like listening to the stories that any person who lives with animals would share. Appreciative of the dogs’ freedom as strays and their individual personalities and quirks, these interviews reflect a deep respect for animals and for the notion of living in community with nature.

This view into the daily lives of these dogs and people is intertwined with an evocative reading by Booker Prize-winning author John Berger, from his novel King: A Street Story (Vintage, 2000). The poetry in the readings adds a meaningful dimension as we watch the dogs navigate their way and the result is a moving portrait of the human community that embraces, protects and supports them in recognition of the richness and wealth that they bring to city life.

This film was nominated for best documentary, Golden Orange Award in 2014.

Recommended for general audiences.