Guan Hu's Award-Winning Film "Black Dog" to Premiere on June 15

Directed by renowned filmmaker Guan Hu, the movie "Black Dog," starring Eddie Peng and Tong Liya, is set to premiere on June 15.

The film triumphed at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, winning the Un Certain Regard Award and canine actor Xiao Xin received the Palm Dog Grand Jury Prize.

Featuring a stellar cast, "Black Dog" tells the touching story of Erlang, portrayed by Eddie Peng, and a black dog mistakenly labeled as rabid.

Their shared struggles forge a deep bond, leading to a powerful narrative of mutual redemption. Critics have praised the film as a heartfelt tribute to freedom and courage.

Set in a desolate desert landscape, the film explores the relationship between humans and animals, emphasizing themes of loneliness and companionship. This marks Hu's return to human-animal storytelling, 15 years after his acclaimed film "Cow."

Peng faced the challenge of working with an unpredictable animal actor, training with the dog for two weeks before filming to build rapport. Guan highlighted the importance of respecting the nature of animals and building a wordless bond with them.

The film's Chinese name "Gou Zhen" means "Dog Array" and the pronunciation also sounds similar to "Dog Town" and "Dog License."

"For me, it's like having an 'array' in my life and my friends and I all feel like we're stuck in the same situation," Guan said at an event on Thursday night. "It's like there are days when you can see the end of the tunnel. So how to break free from this situation is what our movie wants to tell, it's also the problem we encounter in our daily lives.

"That is a bit like what young people say – we're not on track, we're lost in the wilderness, and that vibe is also a bit like the feeling of being forever stuck at a crossroads. I hope this film can bring about a change."

According to Peng, as the protagonist with fewer words, there's a process that needs to be understood when the movie was filming.

"What's fascinating about it is thinking about the director, why he designed this character," Peng said. "I often find myself wondering if we all have moments when we don't need to speak to explain many things and what reason makes Erlang unwilling to speak. In this process, I just kept thinking about this and then I discovered that it was actually quite captivating for myself. I went through a process of constant change, and eventually ended up participating in this very fantastical journey."

During the filming, one of the most challenging tasks the team faced was to build a zoo with many animals, including a skinny tiger.

It took them nearly two months to build the zoo in a park. To take care of the more than 100 dogs that played strays, the team also built a 3-acre dog shelter where over 20 people accompanied the dog "actors and actresses" every day.