Dog War is a film that’s been given a World Premiere at the 2024 Raindance International Film Festival.
Nominated for the Spirit of Raindance award, Abrahams’ documentary film follows a team of hard-bitten, grizzled ex-US military veterans who have taken it upon themselves to put a stop to the trading and farming of dogs in South Korea for the purposes of being eaten by Korean masses.
The juxtaposition and argument stems from the youth population; who feel that eating dogs is an outdated custom, while the older generation venerate the health benefits of dog meat and wary of increasing Western ideals being thrust upon their society.
A film that is both touching and heart-rending in the sense that the subject matter is very hard to view on occasion as Abrahams intrusive camerawork does not hold back in showing chopped up dog bodies sitting atop of barrels in wet markets ready to be sold as you would see in a butchers or be cooked there and then as a burger.
This is the harsh reality of Korean culture the viewer has to wrestle with and it can leave an unsavoury bitter taste in the mouth upon viewing; however, Abrahams navigates the cultural shift in the culture hearing voices from both sides of the argument – activists, farmers, politicians, meat traders.
An interesting tale of how to deal with problems beyond your reach, these ex-military professionals are using their tactical skills as vigilantes to shut down these casual playgrounds for cruelty.
The central piece is when the veterans shut down a farm and rescue a stolen spaniel from a farm, the testing shows she has no negative physical effects and quickly adjusts back to the love and care afforded to her after her brief imprisonment. The whole scene shows the men at work and their passion to put right what is clearly wrong.
Final thoughts
A gripping and at times intense watch of a transitional moment in the Far East, the here and now is colliding with a reach for the future with Abrahams as all good documentarians holding a mirror up to society and asking ‘how has this been acceptable’ ever.
View the trailer for Dog War, on Open Eye Pictures.
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