DVD Review: Dogs Of Democracy

Dogs Of Democracy is a documentary film that on its surface is about the stray dogs in Athens and the people that take care of them, an interesting topic in itself. But in addressing that topic, the film goes deeper to discuss the ways that people treat one another, particularly the ways that people treat the homeless. It was written and directed by Mary Zournazi, who also narrates the film.

At the beginning, Mary says that she took her first trip to Athens in order “to explore the culture of my ancestors.” But when she arrived, the city was in the middle of a crisis, with demonstrations in the streets. She saw something else unexpected in the streets, and that is the film’s focus – the stray dogs and the people caring for them. Several of these people are interviewed. Some, like Spiros, are actually homeless themselves. All of them are amiable and likeable, and it’s easy to connect with them and with what they are trying to do. “Traditionally we Greeks are on the side of the losers in a way,” says Eugenia, about caring for the dogs. “So it seems natural to us to favor them and be on their side.” Rita, another person who cares for these animals, tells us, “The stray dogs of Athens are the souls of the streets.”

“Like Gandhi says, you can tell what a culture is like by how it looks after the weakest in the community and how it treats its animals,” Rita says. And this idea is really at the heart of the film. It’s interesting to me that all the stray dogs have names, and that the people know their names. Many even have collars. The documentary ties the idea of these stray dogs to the growing homeless population. Many people had suddenly found themselves unemployed and on the streets because of the economic crisis.

The film does get a bit into the history of the city’s changing attitudes toward the stray dogs. And yes, there is a lot of adorable footage of the dogs. These dogs are not at all shy about coming right up to the camera. There is even some funny footage, like the odd standoff between a car and a dog, with the dog barking at the car, and the car honking at the dog. Who will yield? But the most interesting footage is of the dogs at the demonstrations with protestors. You get the sense the dogs know exactly what is going on and what is at stake. One particular dog becomes associated with the movement, and is even referred to as the protestors’ “guardian angel.” The people being interviewed tell some incredible and moving anecdotes, and the film carries messages of hope and kindness.

Dogs Of Democracy was released on DVD on June 26, 2018 through MVD Visual. The DVD contains the film’s trailer.