Barking Dogs Never Bite

Colour, 35mm
Korea, 2000, 106 min
Section: New Korean Cinema

Synopsis

University lecturer Yoon Ju, who lives with his pregnant girlfriend in a huge prefab block of flats, has two small problems: he needs to find $10,000 to pay a bribe that will make him a professor, and he must stop the constant barking coming from the adjacent flat. When he spots a puppy one day waiting in front of the neighbour’s door he changes into a man of action. He grabs the pup and runs up to the roof. But can a sensitive and educated man dash a puppy down onto the unforgiving concrete? Of course not – and so he strings the furry monster up in the basement. The owner of the dog calls for an investigation. Important note: after having an operation the little lost doggy can no longer bark! Panic-stricken, Yoon Ju realises his mistake but a night-time search of the basement turns up nothing. At that very moment a strange man is fixing the dear pup for dinner. This is the lead-in to a drama full of live and dead dogs whose unexpected reversals are accentuated by its elaborate style and excellent camerawork.

About the director

Bong Jun Ho (b. 1969) studied at the Korean Film Academy after graduating in sociology. His third short film, Incoherence (1996) was screened at film festivals in San Diego and Hong Kong. He also worked as assistant director on Motel Cactus (1997, dir. by Park Ki Yong). Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) is his feature debut.