The Dogwalker

Running time: N/A

World Premiere A distinctive and compelling storyteller, director Jacques Thelemaque (Egg, Winner Best Comedy Short in Cinequest, 2001) returns with his courageous and moving debut feature about making destiny happen instead of waiting for it. Running away from her past-in the form of an abusive boyfriend-Ellie (Diane Gaidry, a real-life dogwalker) hops on the first plane out of Buffalo, heading for Los Angeles. As an inauspicious beginning in her new surroundings, Ellie learns that her father has moved, and she does not know where to begin a search for him. Shortly thereafter, Ellie's money is stolen, forcing her to live on the streets. But salvation comes in a strange form when Ellie meets Betsy walking dogs in the park. Betsy, an embittered older woman with a similarly tainted history of her own, deigns to grant the younger Ellie a temporary partnership. Thus begins a codependent, love/hate relationship in which both women need something from the other, yet are repulsed at the same time. Director Thelemaque directs with confidence-blending a marvelous storyline with impressive and incredibly human characters that are infused with depth and complexity. The Dogwalker is an impressive journey that concludes with a clear weigh-in on finding a direction, as various life-paths cross again with circumstance. Reviewed by Sam Freund