Through the eyes of three stray dogs wandering the streets of Istanbul, STRAY explores what it means to live as a being without status or security, following three strays as they embark on inconspicuous journeys through Turkish society that allows us an unvarnished portrait of human life—and their own canine culture. Zeytin, fiercely independent, embarks on adventures through the city at night; Nazar, nurturing and protective, easily befriends the humans around her; while Kartal, a shy puppy living on the outskirts of a construction site, finds companions in the security guards who care for her. The strays’ disparate lives intersect when they each form intimate bonds with a group of young Syrians with whom they share the streets. Whether they lead us into bustling streets or decrepit ruins, the gaze of these strays acts as windows into the overlooked corners of society: women in loveless marriages, protesters without arms, refugees without the sanctuary.

Director Elizabeth Lo’s award-winning film is a critical observation of human civilization through the unfamiliar gaze of dogs and a sensory voyage into new ways of seeing.

The screening will open a short film "Mutts" (Clebs, R: Halima Ouardiri, Kanada 2019) ‘18 / Language: Arabic, Subtitles: English

In a stray dog refuge in Morocco, time seems to stand still for the 750 animals waiting to be adopted, their lives following a precise, monotonous routine.