Stray (2020)

Elizabeth Lo's intriguing documentary follows the escapades of three stray dogs through the streets of Istanbul, quite literally. Choosing to shoot the majority of the film at the same eye level of Zeytin, the main focus of the three dogs, the camera follows behind her as she goes about her daily business. Lo captures Zeytins eyes with such effectiveness at times, it seems that you can tell exactly what she's thinking, and this makes for a captivating view of the city from a completely alternate point of view. It's astonishing to see for yourself how these strays keep themselves alive, how they learn to find kindness, and how they have to deal with trouble which inevitably find them. It also makes a great double bill with Ceyda Torun's Kedi (2016), which focuses on the thousands of stray cats that have lived on the streets of Istanbul for years. 7.0/10