On November 21, Scandinavia House presents a special screening and film talk of Latvia’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards: the bawdy adult animated feature Dog of God, followed by a Q&A with directors Lauris and Raitis Ābele.
Dog of God
Dir. Lauris Ābele & Raitis Ābele | Latvia/United States, 2025
“Spectacular, bold, uncompromising” — In a medieval town drenched in autumn rain, a sacred relic is stolen. Passion, witchcraft accusations, shamanism and a deal with an otherworldly plant that possesses aphrodisiac superpowers lead to chaos in the accursed hamlet.
Set in the 17th century in a destitute Latvian village, a local priest named Buckholz (Reginar Vaivars) goes on a crusade to punish the local tavern owner, a woman named Neze (Agate Krista), whom he’s been lusting over and is accusing of witchcraft. When he finally makes her stand trial, it’s interrupted by a werewolf named Theiss (Einars Repse), who brings with him a psychedelic and carnage-filled spectacle that will change the village forever. Loosely based on the real-life account of one of the last werewolf trials held in 1692, Dog of God offers a twisted tale of debauchery, Latvian folklore, and anarchic humor.
“A grungy flashback that juggles fire, brimstone and a very 21st century gloss of hip irony (…) destined for a long shelf life as a cult favorite amongst enthusiasts of dark fantasy, graphic novels and genre-stretching absurdist cinema, à la Yorgos Lanthimos.” (Dennis Harvey, Variety)
ABOUT THE DIRECTORS
Brothers Lauris Ābele and Raitis Ābele are Latvian filmmakers. Lauris obtained a Master’s degree in Audio-Visual Arts (film directing) at the Latvian Academy of Culture. They frequently work together with their third brother Marcis Ābele (director of photography) on films, shorts, music videos, and various surrealistic art projects. Their first international success came when the short film Castratus the Boar.