Directed by Charles Chaplin • 1918 • United States

Charlie Chaplin’s first film for First National Films, A DOG’S LIFE revolves around Chaplin’s iconic Tramp character as he navigates the cityscape with ‘Scraps’ the dog. The two go on a journey to help the Tramp have a better life with Edna, a d...

Directed by Albert Lamorisse • 1952 • France
Starring Alain Emery, Laurent Roche, Clan-Clan

Possessed of the timeless perfection of a fable, this tale about the unique bond between children and animals is Albert Lamorisse’s ode to the awe-inspiring majesty of nature. Amid the vast flatlands of t...

Directed by Lotte Reiniger • 1953 • United Kingdom

Lotte Reiniger returns to the character of Prince Achmed for this “Arabian Nights”–inspired fantasy in which our hero takes off on a flying horse.

Directed by René Laloux • 1966 • France

FANTASTIC PLANET was not the first collaboration between writer-director René Laloux and illustrator Roland Topor. Presented here is a short film they made together in the mid-1960s: LES ESCARGOTS.

Directed by Charles Burnett • 1973 • United States

A young boy keeps a horse company during its last moments of life in Charles Burnett’s spare, lyrical student film, which poignantly contrasts the callousness of adults with the empathy of children.

Directed by Jean Painlevé • 1982 • France

An enthusiastic man sits on a park bench and explains the behaviors and rituals of pigeons.

Directed by Zachary Treitz • 2011 • United States
Starring Rusty Blanton, Veronica Blanton, David Maloney

Facing eviction, trailer-park resident Rusty Blanton is given thirty days to find a new home for himself, his wife, and their nineteen-year-old pet alligator, Chopper.

Directed by Jessica Beshir • 2017 • Ethiopia

Yussuf Mume Saleh journeys nightly into the outskirts of the walled city of Harar to bond with his beloved hyenas, a ritual he has practiced for over thirty-five years. Shot in black and white, HAIRAT is a meditation on this uniquely symbiotic relatio...

Directed by Sophy Romvari • 2019 • Canada

Old dogs are celebrated in ten short stories about love, loss, and letting go.

Directed by Halima Ouardiri • 2019 • Canada

A dystopian plunge into an enormous Moroccan dog shelter teeming with hundreds of strays doubles as a haunting commentary on poverty and the plight of refugees.

Directed by Isabella Rossellini • 2020 • United States

In this bite-size, hand-drawn biology lesson, Isabella Rossellini explains how the human domestication of animals changed the course of evolution.