Event
Buddy
In this poignant and carefully composed portrait of six service dogs and their owners, renowned documentary filmmaker Heddy Honigmann explores the close bond between animal and human.
From an 86-year-old blind woman who has never seen her canine companion to an autistic young boy who relies on his dog to know when he’s upset, they share stories about the critical role these animals play in their lives. The wife of a war veteran suffering from PTSD explains that the guide dog Mister is probably the reason they’re still together.
Honigmann questions the owners in her characteristic way — respectfully and with genuine concern rooted in a deep trust — about what the animals mean to them.
Buddy is an ode to the fighting spirit of the main characters and a loving portrait of the deep bond between man and dog.
"An exquisite portrait. And because it’s a Heddy Honigmann film it inevitably transforms into a philosophical meditation."
"Critics’ Pick. The movie is warm, observant, mildly philosophical and deeply curious about the daily and inner lives of both the people and their four-legged assistants… Honigmann gets right down to the matter of emotional connection in just a shot or two... Her inquiries yield good answers about love and devotion and dog heaven."
"A tender tribute to tail-wagging treasures....proves as soothing to the viewer as the faithful pets are to their humans."
