THERAPY DOGS

Canada202183 minutesEnglish, Cantonese with English Subtitles Canadian PremiereDrama, Experimental

The Class of 2019 at Cawthra Park Secondary School is gearing up for their senior year. Teen angst fills the hallways. Nervous students convene in classrooms. Hopeful romantics ask each other out for prom. Amidst these moments of self-discovery, friends Ethan and Justin set out to shoot a film under the pretense of being a yearbook project, recording pivotal moments and character portraits during this tumultuous stage of adolescence. No one at Cawthra Park seems to be prepared for what will come next in their rebellious filmmaking adventure.

Ethan Eng’s debut feature film Therapy Dogs is an introspective look at the director’s coming-of-age in senior year. Combining elements from documentary, fiction, and experimental styles, Therapy Dogs navigates the quintessential Mississauga high school experience with evocative imagery and rhythmic sequences, offering an intensely rich window into Eng’s craft, interpersonal relationships, and his exploration of the near-universal rite of passage: the last year of high school.

– Nicolas Uribe