Julien Neaves, Caribbean Head Writer
I love dogs. Growing up we had a never-ending parade of furry friends of various sizes, shades and personalities, and I remember every one of them. And one film that exuberantly celebrates man’s best friend is 2011 TT short Pothound.
Directed by Christopher Guinness and co-written with his wife/filmmaking collaborator Leizelle, Pothound tells the tale of the titular stray pooch as she runs around having misadventures and helping people she comes across (which often backfires). Think The Littlest Hobo but littler. Oh, and for any non-Trini/non-Caribbean Red Mango Readers a pothound is a mongrel dog which can either be a stray or a pet. Now back to our regularly scheduled review.
I remember watching the film years ago and enjoying it, and I enjoyed it even more when I revisited it for this review. The star, Bubbercin, is such an adorable and energetic girl that she immediately endears herself to the audience. Throughout her misadventures I found myself invested in what she was doing and seeing, and being concerned for her safety. The film is told from her point of view, both literally via a GoPro camera and figuratively. It makes for a fun, unique and visually enchanting viewing experience as we step into Bubbercin’s shoes (if she wore any, that is).
Also having fun was the director who donned his animator hat for a wild anime-inspired animated segment where Bubbercin fights with a bully. And not “dog-bites-man” fight but actual fisticuffs. It’s a little weird but it fits with the whimsical tone of the story.
And the Guinness-es pack a lot of story into just 11 minutes including a cool twist that subverts a local stereotype. Really good stuff.
So if you are in the mood for a breezy short with great visuals featuring a loveable and brave pooch then you should definitely spend some time with Pothound.
Editor Jules’s Score: 8 out of 10
You can watch the film for yourself on Studio Anansi by clicking here. And you can check out more great TT content below:
Julien “Editor Jules” Neaves is a TARDIS-flying, Force-using Trekkie whose bedroom stories were by Freddy Krueger, learned to be a superhero from Marvel, but dreams of being Batman. I love promoting Caribbean film (Cariwood), creating board games and I am an aspiring author. I say things like “12 flavours of awesome sauce”. Read more.