FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: February 15, 2021
The Friday Harbor Film Festival presents the online premiere of Magnolia Pictures’ Stray, a captivating, award-winning film about a trio of canine outcasts who roam the streets of Istanbul. Through their eyes and ears, we are shown an intimate portrait of the life of a city and its people. It is an ultimate love letter to dogs and a multifaceted moral inquiry into humanity. Watch on-demand February 18 through 28 at fhff.org for only $3.95. Pre-order to secure your spot, as tickets are limited.
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. As they search for food and shelter, Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal embark on inconspicuous journeys through Turkish society that allow us an unvarnished portrait of human life — and their own canine culture.
Zeytin, fiercely independent, embarks on solitary 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 refuge with the security guards who care for her. The disparate lives of Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal intersect when they each form intimate bonds with a group of young Syrians who share the streets with them.
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 sanctuary. The film is a critical observation of human civilization through the unfamiliar gaze of dogs and a sensory voyage into new ways of seeing.
Director Elizabeth Lo’s work has been showcased around the world, including at the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, IDFA, Hot Docs, True/False, New York Times Op-Docs, Field of Vision, and acclaimed PBS series POV. Elizabeth was featured in DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 List, Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, and the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors' Showcase at Cannes Lion.
Special Event! Free Livestream Filmmaker Q&A with Director Elizabeth Lo
Director Elizabeth Lo will participate in a free livestream Q&A on February 21 at 7 pm PST. If you miss the livestream, a recording will be available to watch on-demand through September 30, 2021.
