Mutts
The animals’ brown, beige, white and black coats blend into the ochre earth and sunbaked walls. After the calm of rest hour, a deafening cacophony breaks out at feeding time, as the dogs bark excitedly. In a stray-dog refuge in Agadir, Morocco, more than 750 animals find help and protection while awaiting adoption. Each day is the same as the last, the only excitement provided by mealtime. Empathetic and alert to subtleties of light and texture, Halima Ouardiri observes the rhythm of the animals’ lives, their suspended existence paralleling the far more tragic waiting endured by millions of human beings in search of a new home.
| Director | Halima Ouardiri |
| Actor | Bruno Dequen |
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Under the scorching Moroccan sun, a camera attuned to color and sound observes the daily life of a shelter for stray dogs. A premise as simple as it is infinitely complex to realize. A film without obvious protagonists, a documentary whose accomplished form nonetheless depends on the unpredictable movements of its subjects. Carried by a truly painterly gaze, Halima Ouardiri’s work immerses us in the heart of the many interactions of a makeshift community. Avoiding an anthropomorphic perspective, she becomes one with these dogs caught between worlds, waiting for a possible adoption. When the radio eventually mentions the migrant crisis, connections inevitably emerge—even if the dogs themselves remain indifferent. A lesson in evocative cinema.
Bruno Dequen
Editor in Chief, 24 Images
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FR- Clebs
Language: Français
- Année 2019
- Pays Quebec
- Durée 18
- Producteur Halima Ouardiri
- Langue Arab
- Sous-titres French, English
- Résumé court Dans le refuge pour chiens errants d’Agadir au Maroc, plus de 750 animaux trouvent aide et protection en attendant d’être adoptés par une famille.
- Feministe equitable 1
- Date édito CA 2025-09-15
Under the scorching Moroccan sun, a camera attuned to color and sound observes the daily life of a shelter for stray dogs. A premise as simple as it is infinitely complex to realize. A film without obvious protagonists, a documentary whose accomplished form nonetheless depends on the unpredictable movements of its subjects. Carried by a truly painterly gaze, Halima Ouardiri’s work immerses us in the heart of the many interactions of a makeshift community. Avoiding an anthropomorphic perspective, she becomes one with these dogs caught between worlds, waiting for a possible adoption. When the radio eventually mentions the migrant crisis, connections inevitably emerge—even if the dogs themselves remain indifferent. A lesson in evocative cinema.
Bruno Dequen
Editor in Chief, 24 Images
-
FR- Clebs
Language: Français
- Année 2019
- Pays Quebec
- Durée 18
- Producteur Halima Ouardiri
- Langue Arab
- Sous-titres French, English
- Résumé court Dans le refuge pour chiens errants d’Agadir au Maroc, plus de 750 animaux trouvent aide et protection en attendant d’être adoptés par une famille.
- Feministe equitable 1
- Date édito CA 2025-09-15
