PRODUCTIONS: A DOG'S LIFE

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A.D'Onofrio, S.Pancaldi, C.Forniz

SD Cinematografica

30'

16 mm

It may seem incredible but the huge Great Dane belongs to the same species as the tiny Chihuahua: over 110 pounds compared to a few ounces of flesh and bones.
Dogs have many different faces, and often they were created by humans. We've enlarged them, shrunk them, raised them, lowered them, stretched them, wrinkled them and deformed them. We've cut the tails and ears of dogs and made them ferocious or submissive.
We've forced them to sit in living-rooms or chained them to posts. Though genetic engineering is a recent science, humans have always used their "best friends" as fertile guinea pigs for selecting and creating new breeds better adapted to particular needs.
While in ancient times chiefly employed as guards and hunters, today they are also trained for social duties. As a result, dogs have become irreplaceable in police and anti-drug operations; in searching for people missing in natural disaster; and in aiding the handicapped.
The documentary represents a scientific treatment of all aspects of this marvelous domestic animal, including the various theories regarding its lineage. A present-day problem is the return of these animals to the wild state, while stray dogs are beginning to cause worry in certain areas.