''The Distant Barking of Dogs'' ( da, Olegs krig) is a 2017 documentary film produced by Monica Hellström, and directed by Simon Lereng Wilmont. The film, set in

Hnutove Hnutove ( uk, Гнутове; russian: link=no, Гнутово) is a village in Donetsk Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at 23,2 km northeast from the centre of Mariupol. The village is situated on the left bank of the Kalmius river that became ...

near Mariupol, follows the life of 10-year-old Ukrainian boy Oleg throughout a year during the

War in Donbass War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...

. Through Oleg's perspective, the film examines what it means to grow up in a war zone. The film premiered at the 2017

International Documentary Festival Amsterdam The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is the world's largest documentary film festival held annually since 1988 in Amsterdam. Over a period of twelve days, it has screened more than 300 films and sold more than 250,000 tic ...

, where it won the IDFA Competition for First Appearance. The family documented in the film subsequently fled following the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.

Synopsis

''THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS'' is set in Eastern Ukraine on the frontline of the war. The film follows the life of 10-year-old Ukrainian boy Oleg (Oleh) throughout a year, witnessing the gradual erosion of his innocence beneath the pressures of war. Oleg lives with his beloved grandmother, Alexandra (Oleksandra), in the small village of

Donetsk Oblast The Donetsk Oblast ( ukr, Донецька область, Donetska oblast, ), also referred to as Donechchyna ( ukr, Донеччина, links=no), is an oblast of eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 mill ...

. Having no other place to go, Oleg and Alexandra stay and watch as others leave the village. Life becomes increasingly difficult with each passing day, and the war offers no end in sight.

Cast

* Oleg Afanasyev * Alexandra Ryabichkina * Jarik

Critical response

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 14 reviews.

Awards

''The Distant Barking of Dogs'' won a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

in the Documentary category. It was 1 of 15 films shortlisted for the 2019

91st Academy Awards The 91st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2018 and took place on February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. During the ceremony, A ...

in the Documentary Feature category. The documentary won the award of 2017 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam for Best First Appearance. It was also among five nominations for the best documentary at 2018

31st European Film Awards The 31st European Film Awards were presented on 15 December 2018 in Seville, Spain. Selection * ''3 Days in Quiberon'' * '' Ága'' * '' Anna's War'' * '' Arrhythmia'' * '' Ayka'' * '' Beast'' * ''Border'' * '' Borg/McEnroe'' * ''Carmen & Lola'' ...

. In January 2019 The Distant Barking of Dogs won the prize of the Cinema Eye Honors.

References

External links

Official site
*
The Distant Barking of Dogs
' on Cineuropa * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Distant Barking of Dogs 2017 films 2010s Russian-language films 2017 documentary films Danish documentary films War in Donbas films Documentary films about children