Laika, a stray dog, was the first living being to be sent into space and thus to a certain death. According to a legend, she returned to Earth as a ghost and has roamed the streets of Moscow ever since. Following her trace, and filmed from a dog’s perspective, SPACE DOGS accompanies the adventures of her descendants: two street dogs living in today’s Moscow. Their story is one of intimate fellowship but also relentless brutality, and is interwoven with unseen archive material from the Soviet cosmic era. A magical tale of voyagers scouting for unknown spaces.
Austria, Germany | 2020 | 90 minutes
directed by Elsa Kremser & Levin Peter
produced by RAUMZEITFILM Produktion OG
inco-production with IT WORKS! Medien GmbH
music by John Gürtler
«Space Dogs is undoubtedly a total work of art – a foreshadowing of a near future in which man is no longer the center of the world, but rather a species among many others. Must-See!» Joachim Kurz | KINO-ZEIT (DE)
«Undoubtedly the most exciting film in Locarno: A philosophical, deep film that does what cinema has to do: showing unseen images.»
Rüdiger Suchsland | DEUTSCHLANDFUNK (DE)
«As crazy as poetic – this is an incredible experience and probably unforgettable. This is undoubtedly one of the highlights of this Locarno Festival.»
Nicolas Bardot | LE POLYESTER (FR)
AWARDS & FESTIVALS
WORLD PREMIERE AT THE 72ND LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL 2019
DokLeipzig 2019 – International Programme
Viennale 2019
34° Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar Del Plata