STRAY explores what it means to live as a being without status or security, following three strays as they embark on inconspicuous journeys through Turkish society. Zeytin, fiercely independent, embarks on adventures through the city at night; Nazar, nurturing and protective, easily befriends the humans around her; while Kartal, a shy puppy living on the outskirts of a construction site, finds companions in the security guards who care for her. The strays’ disparate lives intersect when they each form intimate bonds with a group of young Syrians with whom they share the streets. Director Elizabeth Lo’s award-winning film is a critical observation of human civilization through the unfamiliar gaze of dogs and a sensory voyage into new ways of seeing.
QUOTES:
“CAPTIVATING AND IMMERSIVE”
- Film Magazine
“COMPASSIONATE AND PLAYFUL”
- POV
“THE ULTIMATE LOVE LETTER TO DOGS AND A MULTIFACETED MORAL INQUIRY INTO HUMANITY”
- Variety
AWARDS:
- Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (2020): Winner - Best Documentary
- Film Independent Spirit Awards (2021): Nominee - Truer Than Fiction Award
- Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards (2020): Nominee - Best First Documentary Feature