Adjusting

What does freedom mean? And in some cases, could it be better to be locked up, with a roof over your head and food to eat, even if you have to work for it? Dejan Petrović poses these questions indirectly in his distinctively framed impressions of an overcrowded dog shelter in Serbia, where the dogs are kept behind wire mesh in dismal pens. The observational footage is consistently shot from the same height; we never see the face of the man who cares for and trains dogs like the clever, shaggy-furred Vanja. Only at the end of this short film does it become clear why. Meanwhile, Vanja has already won your heart—and that of the initially somewhat grumpy trainer—with her keen-eyed look and affectionate ways. Adjusting, a film entirely without commentary, and wordless except for the instructions, corrections, and praise directed at Vanja, encourages us to think about what people and animals can learn from each other, and what approach works best. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)