‘White God’ Trailer: Man’s Best Friend Becomes Man’s Worst Enemy

Here’s one seriously compelling premise: man disowns dog, dog recruits fellow orphaned canines and builds an army, which then take to the streets inspiring mass confusion and fear. It seems a little like the ‘Planet of the Apes’ movies, but with dogs, and probably not as action-oriented, but no less intriguing—at least that’s the impression we get from the first trailer for festival favorite ‘White God.’

‘White God’ comes from Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó, and follows a girl who goes to stay with her father, but when the father discovers that his daughter’s beloved dog is an unregistered mutt, he swiftly abandons it. The dog goes on to recruit other similarly disowned dogs, accruing a large army of canines who then rise up against the humans that have abandoned them and betrayed their trust.

The film won the Prize Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes back in May, and has been a critical favorite on the festival circuit since it premiered earlier this year at Sundance. ‘White God’ appears to be more than just a simple animal rebellion story, although its incredibly large cast of dog actors is impressive. Here’s the official synopsis:

Winner of the Prize Un Certain Regard Award at this year’s Cannes Festival, Kornel Mundruczo’s newest film is a story of the indignities visited upon animals by their supposed “human superiors,” but it’s also an brutal, beautiful metaphor for the political and cultural tensions sweeping contemporary Europe. When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog Hagen, because it’s mixed-breed heritage is deemed ‘unfit’ by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back towards each other. At the same time, all the unwanted, unloved and so-called ‘unfit’ dogs rise up under a new leader, Hagen, the one-time housepet who has learned all too well from his ‘Masters’ in his journey through the streets and animal control centers how to bite the hands that beats him …

‘White God’ hits theaters on March 27, 2015.