In Dog Bites Man, two men (Evo and Darm) try to survive the night in their rented farmhouse after they suspect that their closest neighbor and/or other natives have declared war on them. Throughout the night, moments of comedic bickering between the charismatic and quick-witted men are juxtaposed with moments of violence, hatred, fear, insomnia, and threats of death. The saga is like a sustained duet in an opera, set against a backdrop of threatening, overweight, or possibly imaginary forces. As Evo and Darm attempt to understand why the neighbor and/or other locals would declare war on them, it becomes evident that the two men are outsiders, gourmets, and brandy aficionados, and those sins may be reason enough.
"A poet & a painter walk into a bar."
The story speaks to the quiet war that the lgbtqia+ population face daily at the hands of hateful bigotry, transcending that reality into a not too far fetched "what if" civil war scenario.
We find ourselves trapped in the farmhouse of Darm & Evo after th
... ey flee from a madman and his aggressive dog. Safer together they reflect upon the world outside lamenting their fear to embrace, cautious of the potential physical harm that awaits them outside. A punishment merely for the fact that they exist.
The style of the film's dialog feels as if it were influenced by Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, it's beautifully lyrical like a tumbleweed on a windy wet day, splashing and splintering it's unwavering humanity into the face of the viewer. This story is a plea for gentleness, thoughtfulness, & empathy before we lose ourselves to the growing flames of ignorance and hopelessness.
Under the direction of Vincent Zambrano, the lyricism of Frederick Kirwin, and the assistance of producer Scott Kahn we have been gifted with a work of vulnerable art. Andrew Rogers (Darm) & Cade Morrison (Evo) give us a memorable performance as the two lovers. I might riot if I don't get the pleasure to see them in more films in the future.
Dog Bites Man deserves an international screening on PBS, if it were made in England I firmly believe it could have been a part of the Masterpiece Classics programming.
Overall I highly recommend Dog Bites Man to anyone who has a deep love for theater & a fascination with the human experience, most particularly those within the rainbow community as we may see ourselves in between the lines and therefore feel seen externally. We keep trying, we keep going, and we do our very best to live.
"I love you."
"Dog Bites Man has won 22 film festival awards, among them are Cine Paris Film Festival, Cannes World Film Festival, Berlin Kiez Film Festival, Seattle Indie Film Festival, Vancouver International Movie Awards, Santa Cruz Independent Film Fest, Bright Independent Film Festival, Paris Play Indie Film Festival, Vesuvius International Film Fest.
Frederick Kirwin won 9 BEST SCRIPT awards and Vincent Zambrano has won 10 BEST DIRECTOR awards and Andrew Rogers has won a BEST ACTOR award and Cade Morrison has won an HONORABLE MENTION award for acting."
