GREECE – 2009 – 96 MIN – COLOUR - FEATURE - IN GREEK WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
A FILM BY YORGOS LANTHIMOS

DOGTOOTH, 2011 Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film

The father, the mother and their three kids live at the outskirts of a city. There is a tall fence surrounding the house. The kids have never been outside that fence. They are being educated, entertained, bored and exercised in the manner that their parents deem appropriate, without any influence from the outside world. They believe that the airplanes flying over are toys and that zombies are small yellow flowers. The only person allowed to enter the house is Christina. She works as a security guard at the father’s business. The father arranges her visits to the house in order to appease the sexual urges of the son. The whole family is fond of her, especially the eldest daughter. One day Christina gives her as a present a headband that has stones that glow in the dark and asks for something in return.

 

4 Stars out of 4! "This is the second feature for Lanthimos, and it’s a leap from his well-received debut Kinetta. He skilfully doles out tantalizing pieces of information, keeping the viewer in a constant state of suspense and wonder."
- Toronto Star

"The true dark-horse nominee among this year’s foreign-language Oscar contenders, DOGTOOTH leaves bite marks that stick around long after you are released from its grip."
- Globe and Mail

"Dogtooth already one of the year's most essential foreign films"
- Metro

Creepy sex, interpretive dance and dental horror... DOGTOOTH should not be used as a source of parenting tips."
- EYE Weekly

"It doesn’t have a chance of winning – it’s just so damn weird – but it’s amazing that the Academy would even consider something this bizarre and idiosyncratic for the honour."
- Now Magazine

"The movie, about three teenage children kept locked away from the outside world by their parents in a cult-like compound, is cold, features many awkward sexual scenes, some scenes of incest, and creates an overall uneasy feeling while watching it. But there is something so intriguing and artistic about it that it's haunted me ever since screening it."
- Criticize This!

"DOGTOOTH strong-arms the viewer into redefining hardened concepts of family, sexuality, and perversion."
- Torontoist