TITLE: The Distant Barking of Dogs
DIRECTOR: Simon Lereng Wilmont
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 2017
COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION: Danmark
DURATION: 90 min.
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. While waiting for the war to
end, Oleg enjoys hanging out with his younger cousin Yarik and the older boy Kostia.
Together they go on adventures, talk about what makes a real man, test each other’s
boundaries — but sometimes they go too far.
This observational film follows a year in the life of Oleg, and emphasises the warm
bond he has with his grandmother. By sticking close to Oleg, The Distant Barking of
Dogs shows the effect of conflict on children.
The Distant Barking of Dogs is Simon Lereng Wilmonts fourth film at Final Cut for Real. Simon graduated as a Documentary Film Director from The National Danish Film School in 2009. His film Dormitory Master (2009) won a Gold Panda Award at Sichuan International TV &
Film Festival and Above Ground, Beneath the Sky (2008) won Best Short Film at Vision Du Reel and Best International Documentary at Vienna Film Academy International Film Festival. His previous films The Fencing Champion (2014) and Chikara – The Sumo Wrestler’s Son (2013) both premiered at IDFA, won the Jury Award for Medium length Documentary and Best Short Children Documentary Award at Al Jazeera Film Festival 2015, and they have since been screened at a number of international film festivals and sold to tv-stations around the world.