The Home Guard of Sector 1 - The stray dogs of Bucharest
Channel: Fifi Smith
Date: 27/11/2013

Brief film synopsis 

This experimental film is a study of the subject  'insider/outsider' and is explored symbolically through the phenomenon of the many and varied dogs of Bucharest. The dogs are a recurring topic of commentary in Romania, and there is speculation as to how they got there. One story is that they were brought to Bucharest when the Phanariote Greeks came to rule Romania in the 18th century. Another story is that they were left behind by hurriedly displaced people when 30,000 homes were demolished to make way for Ceausescu's enormous palace in the 1980s.    
Today, many dogs have been adopted by households in Bucharest whilst others roam the streets looking for food and water. This film concentrates on one suburb of Bucharest, Sector 1, and shows how the  dogs bring a special atmosphere to that suburb.