“Beneath the mix of daily routines, ghost stories, deluded characters, and pet rescues lurks a social analysis as savage as anything in Pasolini. But I don’t recall Pasolini being as droll as this.” -- Vancouver Film Festival
“In the way it revels in dry humor, in the hilarious, almost unconscionable ease with which Bong swings between mirth and the macabre, BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE is more of a comedy than any of the director’s later movies. But the most fascinating thing about the film is the forlorn soul that emerges from beneath the comic trappings.” - Jonah Jeng, Paste
Yoon-ju’s life is going to the dogs: he can’t get a teaching job without forking over a big bribe, his pregnant wife henpecks him mercilessly, and, somewhere in their suburban apartment block, there’s a yapping pooch that’s really getting on his nerves… Meanwhile, a nervy office-worker (Bae Doo-na in a wonderful comic performance) sees the recent rash of mysterious dog disappearances as a chance to redeem her humdrum existence with a burst of spectacular heroism. A freewheeling mix of slapstick, trenchant social satire, and not-for-the-squeamish black humor, this cult comedy makes a good introduction to the envelope-pushing audacity of New Korean Cinema. (MR) Screened as part of our 2004 Korean Cinema: The Newest Wave series.
Awards & Nominations
Winner -2001 Hong Kong International Film Festival FIPRESCI Prize
Official Selection - 2001 International Film Festival Rotterdam
Official Selection - 2000 San Sebastián International Film Festival
Official Selection - 2001 Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
25 For 25
To celebrate 25 years on State Street, the 25 For 25 series revisits standout titles from our State Street history, spotlighting films that have lit up our screens since 2001 and reflecting on the Siskel Film Center’s programming legacy. Each selection connects to a past Siskel program, highlighting the Siskel Film Center’s long-standing commitment to diverse and innovative curation.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu