The Chilean film 'La Perra' has won this year's Palm Dog award at the Cannes Film Festival, taking the top canine prize a day before the official awards ceremony. The quirky beachfront tradition was a celebratory affair, packed with journalists, dog lovers and plenty of dogs, with barking interspersed with the clink of wine glasses.
Screening in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar, 'La Perra' (Spanish for female dog) follows a solitary woman and her bond with an abandoned puppy named Yuri. Director Dominga Sotomayor collected the coveted dog collar, explaining that she rescued two dogs to play Yuri from puppy to adulthood. 'Yuri and little Tormenta who played the little Yuri, they are both rescue and they are both happy in their new houses. They were not trained so it was really wild to work with them,' she said.
Sotomayor said she wanted to make a film where dogs are not just useful for the story but are like characters themselves. 'I think both dogs were the heart of the film so I am very happy with this prize,' she added.
Both top awards went to films directed by women and featuring female dog characters. The Grand Jury prize was awarded to Lola, the border terrier cross who appears in the British movie 'I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning,' which also picked up the Directors' Fortnight audience award. Director Clio Barnard said, 'I loved working with her, and I would love to work with her again.'
The Palm Dog Award was founded in 2001 by film journalist Toby Rose to give equal celebration to canines at Cannes as their human co-stars. Former winners include Messi from 'Anatomy of a Fall,' Brandy from 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood' and Uggie from 'The Artist.'
