Junkyard Dog (film)

Junkyard Dog (Chien de la casse) is a 2023 coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Jean-Baptiste Durand in his feature-length directorial debut. The film stars Anthony Bajon, Raphaël Quenard and Galatea Bellugi. It screened at the Festival Premiers Plans d'Angers on 27 January 2023. It was released in France on 19 April 2023. It received seven nominations at the 49th César Awards, including Best Film and Best Original Screenplay, and won two awards: Most Promising Actor (for Quenard) and Best First Feature Film.

Plot
"Childhood pals Dog and Mirales live in a little village in the south of France and spend their days roaming the streets. To kill time, Mirales has got into the habit of teasing Dog mercilessly. Their friendship will be tested when Dog meets Elsa and romance blossoms. Consumed by jealousy, Mirales will have to break away from his past in order to grow and find his place."

Production
Jean-Baptiste Durand wrote the film's screenplay, in collaboration with Nicolas Fleureau and Emma Benestan. Anaïs Bertrand produced the film for Insolence Productions.

Principal photography began on 9 November 2021 in France's Hérault department, and wrapped on 10 December 2021.

Release
Junkyard Dog was selected to compete in the European First Feature section at the 35th Festival Premiers Plans d'Angers, where it had its world premiere on 27 January 2023. It was theatrically released on 19 April 2023 by Bac Films.

Critical response
Junkyard Dog received an average rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars on the French website AlloCiné, based on 22 reviews.