Stray

This screening took place on Sunday, February 14, 2021 at 1:00 pmYukon Arts Centre

The world of Zeytin, a stray dog living life on the streets of Istanbul.

Stray explores what it means to live as a being without status or security, following three strays - Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal - as they embark on inconspicuous journeys through Turkish society that allow us an unvarnished portrait of human life — and their own canine culture. 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 disparate lives of these canines intersect when they each form intimate bonds with a group of young Syrians who share the streets with them. Whether they lead us into bustling streets or decrepit ruins, the gaze of these strays acts as a window into the overlooked corners of society: women in loveless marriages, protesters without arms, refugees without sanctuary. STRAY is a critical observation of human civilization through the unfamiliar gaze of dogs and a sensory voyage into new ways of seeing. In Turkish with English subtitles.

Recommended for ages 8+

Best International Documentary, Hot Docs 2020

Screens with: A Song for Haida

At Sealand on Vancouver Island in the 1970s, a killer whale named Haida has stopped eating after the death of a mate. Musician Paul Horn starts to spend time playing his flute for Haida and empathizing with the whale’s grief - earning Haida’s trust so he will resume eating.

Dir. Carmen Pollard, 2020, BC, 5 min