Short Summary
Hi! I'm Anurag Dasgupta, a 30 year old independent filmmaker from New Delhi, India with more than 7 years experience in various documentary, commercial and activist films. I did my film studies from Srishti School of Art and Design in Bangalore, India and currently work as a freelance cinematographer and a teacher at various design schools mentoring film students.
This film is a collection of stories from various people about their impression of dogs and the observation of stray and domesticated dogs in their natural habitat.
This project's inception existed in the back of my mind for many years due to the absolute love and compassion I have experienced from dogs in my own life. The impetus to start working on this came after the death of my beloved pet dog ' Begum' who lived with us for more than 14 years. The devastating experience of losing her and the humbling experience of caring for her in her final days taught me a valuable lesson about my own self as a human being.
This deep connection of compassion is something I can only hope other human beings can experience and this is why I am making this film. Not only to show you how dogs are highly intelligent and gorgeous creatures but how can we involve and care for them in our society.
The project doesn't end with the completion of the film. There will be a photobook based on all the images clicked from the travels all across the country. A website that will give you access to all information you need about dogs ranging from what to keep in mind when you adopt a dog to how to care for a dog in pain and a list of local animal activists and all the interviews and B roll that won't find space in the film.
What We Need & What You Get
I need to raise 15 lacs or approximately 21,500 dollars for the production and the first rough cut of the film. Beyond this we will have to increase more for the post production which will include music, sound, graphics, animation.
Along with the main film we will put up a website that will have all resources from all over the country, one place that shows where all animal activists are doing work, what are the helplines to call for which city, understanding body language of dogs, if you are afraid of dogs then what tools to use to understand how to get over fear, the things to keep in mind before you adopt a dog if you are a first timer, etc.
The website will also contain a lot of B roll and lots of interviews that will not be used in the final film. Like an interconnected map that shows us people’s perspectives from different parts of the country.
Risks & Challenges
The current trailer has been shot over many years during breaks and a lot of times is just quick visual observation of a stray dog when I have gone for a commercial shoot somewhere. Bit by bit I have gained an experience of meeting so many dogs all over the country.
Without the required money, I will be unable to purchase the correct equipment required to tell this story and do justice to the main characters of my film, the dogs.
I know that there will be many heartbreaking sequences to shoot where dogs are being harmed or I am in the middle of a confrontation and that is exactly why I believe it is important to make the film, to showcase the resistance to this.
