Cannes, France – Chinese director Hu Guan’s film “Black Dog” has won the prestigious Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival. The film tells the story of a man, played by Eddie Peng, who returns to his remote hometown in China after being released from prison. His mission to rid the town of stray dogs before the Olympics takes an unexpected turn when he befriends one of them.
Double victory for greyhound Xin
Peng attended the ceremony alongside his co-star, a greyhound named Xin. It was a momentous day for Xin, who earlier donned the Palm Dog red collar after winning the Grand Jury Prize at a separate ceremony celebrating canine performances.
Other Winners
The Un Certain Regard jury awarded its top prize to “The Story of Souleymane,” a French film by director Boris Lojkine, which portrays a Guinean immigrant’s struggle in Paris. The best director prize was shared between Italy’s Roberto Minervini for “The Damned” and Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni for “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.” Saudi Arabian director Tawfik Alzaidi’s “Norah” received a special mention.
This year’s Un Certain Regard jury was led by Canadian filmmaker and actor Xavier Dolan. The competition, which focuses on arthouse films and runs parallel to the main Palme d’Or competition, featured a total of 18 films vying for the award.