Short Film Review: “DogVillization”
Dir: M. Hadi Jamali & Fakhredin Jamali
Iran • Drama • 14 Mins
A dog hunter falls into a deep sleep on the minibus while she travels back to the dog crematorium. Her dreams conjure up eccentric, yet vivid alternate realities where at one time she is a dog herself who is killed at the hands of a male human and at another time she finds herself being hunted and leashed by a street dog. The filmmakers state that DogVillization is inspired by Freud's theory that dreams are the fulfilment of a desire. DogVillization is made up of 3 intricate parts, all focusing on different ways the role of women and dogs have within a societal system.
In a sense, it’s hard if not impossible to describe accurately what DogVillization is. It’s a film that truly needs to be witnessed without distraction to be understood, but nevertheless, let’s have a go! As the film opens, we’re greeted with a plethora of wild and intriguing imagery. A man howls in unison with a dog. Two men fight until they collapse. A woman dressed as a dog crawls through the overgrown grass. All while someone in the distance rhythmically bangs a bucket. Yet, it doesn’t stop there.
The opening is an impressive, incredibly well-choreographed and exceptionally shot six-and-half-minute uncut black-and-white take. The imagery, sound design and unfolding narrative are all compelling and unsettling. The camera work alone on this opening shot is incredible, planting us firmly in this mesmerising, disturbing and surreal dream. The second part takes us to a much more colourful dream where the woman is tracked and leashed by a man acting as a street dog before she wakes up in the van on the way to the crematorium for the third and final part of the film.
Which of the three parts are actually dreams and which parts are metaphoric realities is open for interpretation. While the first two parts of the film have a definite ambiguous and dreamlike quality, there are clues that we’re still in the dream world in the third part, yet, you soon realise that just underneath the surface, the first two parts have more of a grounding in reality than the third part which begins to feel more like a dream.
The filmmakers have been careful to not talk about their motivations or the subtext of the film, but given the current social climate from where this film originates and the role that women play within the film - firstly masquerading as a dog before being bludgeoned to death, then in the second part having her independence stripped from her as she becomes the property of a street dog, before finally “waking up” as an independent, employed woman in charge of the operation (is this actually the dream section?), there might not be a huge leap you’d have to make to possibly see where the filmmakers are truly coming from.
Regardless of the filmmaker’s true intentions behind the film though, which really could be interpreted by a million viewers in a million different ways, it’s indisputably well crafted. The cinematography is weird & unusual and superbly executed. The monochromatic images of the first and third parts are striking and bold, and the vibrant middle section really comes alive with its use of colour. The imagery is perfectly complimented by some evocative and effective sound design. Everything combines to create a beautifully strange film that will leave you with plenty to ponder.
DogVillization is an exceptionally well-crafted and challenging film that touches on some prominent and important social issues.
9/10
DogVillization was nominated for Best Short Film, Best Drama, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Sound at our 2022 film festival.
Reviewed by Philip Pugh
