Black Dog (2024 film)

Black Dog is a 2024 Chinese film directed by Guan Hu and starring Eddie Peng. The film had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2024, where it won the Un Certain Regard prize.

Premise
Former stunt motorcyclist Lang returns to his hometown on the outskirts of the Gobi desert, where he was a local celebrity prior to his imprisonment. Now residing with his father, Lang must avoid the spiteful local gangster "Butcher Hu", who aims to exact revenge on Lang for his role in his nephew's death. Lang decides to seek the bounty placed on a wild dog as part of a larger program to remove unwanted animals in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and eventually strikes up an unlikely friendship with the canine.

Cast

 * Eddie Peng as Lang, a former convict
 * Tong Liya as Grape, a circus performer in whom Lang takes romantic interest
 * Jia Zhangke as Uncle Yao, who leads the canine round-up efforts
 * Zhang Yi
 * Zhou You

Production
Guan Hu sought to tell the story of ordinary people left behind by the rapid economic development in China and cast actors who could bring a sense of realism to the project.

Eddie Peng established such a strong bond with Xin, the dog featured in the film, that he adopted the dog after filming had wrapped.

Release
Black Dog was selected to be screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 18 May 2024.