Saturday 17 June 2023

Dogs - short film 2022

 Dogs (2022) is a short movie by film director Julie Stunault and produced by the French film studio StunoCorp.

Affiche du film Les Chiens (2022)

 The pitch: 

"Denise et Jean-Yves, two burglars in their seventies, are sitting on a bench facing the sea. They are waiting for a signal. From who ? Why ? It would be better if they could remember..."

We have asked ChatGPT the story it would have written from this same pitch. It might be surprising at first, I must admit. Anyway, here is what ChatGPT did come back with:

I really enjoyed the short movie Dogs. I would have loved to write the script myself and StunoCorp should really consider my contributing to their next project. 

Denise and Jean-Yves are two elderly burglars who have spent their lives breaking into houses and stealing valuables. They are now in their seventies and have retired to a bench by the sea, waiting for a signal that they cannot quite remember. As they sit and reminisce about their past exploits, they begin to realize that the signal they are waiting for is not from a accomplice or a mark, but from death itself.

As the film unfolds, we see flashbacks of Denise and Jean-Yves as young burglars, full of energy and daring. They were the best in the business, always finding a way to outwit the authorities and make off with their loot. But as they grew older, the stakes became higher and their luck began to run out. They became more careless and prone to making mistakes, and eventually they decided to retire from the life of crime.

But as they sit on the bench, they are haunted by the memories of their past and the regrets that come with it. They wonder if they made the right choice in retiring, or if they should have kept going until the end. They also wonder if they will be remembered for their skills as burglars, or if they will be forgotten like so many other criminals before them.

As the sun sets on their final day, Denise and Jean-Yves receive the signal they have been waiting for. They stand up and walk towards the sea, ready to meet their fate. The film ends with a shot of the empty bench, symbolizing the end of an era and the passing of two remarkable individuals.

Overall, "Dogs" is a poignant and thought-provoking film that explores the themes of aging, memory, and regret. It is a meditation on the choices we make in life and how they shape our identity and our legacy. Whether we are burglars or not, we all face the same question: how will we be remembered when we are gone?

The film Dogs refers to the Greek Philosopher Diogène, also known as Diogenes the Cynic (from the word "dog" in ancient greek) who wanted to live and be buried "like a dog".