Bozeman Magazine

On Thursday, February 7th, at 7pm at the Emerson Center, The Bozeman Doc Series presents the Montana premiere of the award-winning new documentary The Distant Barking of Dogs.

Ten-year-old Oleg lives in the eastern part of Ukraine — a warzone that often echoes with anti-aircraft fire and missile strikes. Sometimes these sounds are in the distance, while other times they’re frighteningly close. While many have already left this dangerous area, Oleg remains with his grandmother, who has taken care of him since the death of his mother. They have nowhere else to go.

Chronicling one year in Oleg’s life, the film bears witness to the gradual erosion of a boy’s innocence beneath the pressures of war. Along with his younger cousin, Yarik, Oleg struggles to find some semblance of a normal childhood, playfully wandering the countryside, searching for the adventures all young boys seek. But despite their youthful curiosity and joy, the stress of the constant conflict nearby takes a heavy toll. A true testament to human resilience and a moving, haunting portrait, The Distant Barking of Dogsexamines, with remarkable intimacy, the consequences of growing up in the shadow of war.

The Distant Barking of Dogsworld premiered at the prestigious International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, and has gone on to screen at major festivals around the world, winning over twenty awards. In December of 2018, the film was selected to this year’s Oscar documentary shortlist, one of fifteen films considered for nomination for Best Documentary Feature.

“Beautifully observed…The Distant Barking of Dogsdeftly weaves a precise coming-of-age narrative into its morally urgent anti-war tableau. [Director] Lereng Wilmont’s subjects earn their stray moments of rustic poetry; so does his film.” Variety

“There’s an invigorating sense of awe throughoutThe Distant Barking of Dogs,not only in how skillfully Lereng Wilmont extends the wonder with which the young Oleg approaches the world to become the audience’s, but as a celebration of resilience in seeing the family carrying on, resulting in an experience that no one involved will be able to shake any time soon.” Moveable Feast

“An intimate, stirring portrayal of life during wartime…beautifully shot…a story that should be told and seen by as many people as possible” Film Pulse

“Wilmont has crafted a beautiful, poetic observational documentary that completely stays out of politics, and focuses instead on Oleg’s process of growing up and the changes that his situation brings. The boys and their grandma make for great film heroes. The children’s innocence, which is inevitably being spoiled by the sound of every bullet, is intoxicating, and Aleksandra’s kindness and strength are not only admirable, but also completely loveable.” Cineuropa

Doors open at 6:30pm.Tickets are available at the door or before the show at Cactus Records and Movie Lovers. Tickets are also available online at www.bozemandocseries.org, where you can also buy Season Passes and 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series, and view trailers for upcoming films. The series will continue every other Sunday through Christmas. Starting January 10th, the series will move to every other Thursday through April.