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TEHRAN – The Iranian documentary “Dog Eater”, co-directed by Fathollah Amiri and Nima Asgari, won an award at the Ankara International Wildlife Documentary Film Festival, which was held in Turkey from May 15 to 18.
A total of 691 short and feature documentaries from 89 countries competed in the first edition of the Turkish festival. “Dog Eater,” the only participant from Iran, was one of the seven movies winning the best short documentary award, IRNA reported.
The 40-minute documentary explores a border village in North Khorasan province where tranquility is shattered by the disappearance of dogs and the fear instilled by a brazen panther. Villagers, instead of taking drastic measures, seek help from environmental authorities and experts. After ten days of struggle, they capture an old panther, shedding light on the mystery behind the dog-eating behavior. However, an unfortunate incident occurs after the panther is transported to Tehran, adding a tragic twist to the story.
A production of 2024, this documentary, as its title suggests, is a hybrid and narrative of the story of a creature from the wild and a protected species, inevitably caught in the unintended conflicts that arise in growing human societies. Seeking refuge in a border village on the outskirts of Khorasan to preserve its life, it turns to hunting the domestic animals of villagers and herders.
This documentary carries a socio-environmental narrative where the filmmaker not only observes the challenges and struggles of the capture team with a documentary gaze but also delves into local communities to understand the environmentally-conscious behavior of the border villagers towards this large and elusive cat and examine it closely.
Ultimately, despite the success of the capture team and the kindness and integrity of the villagers towards this rare and majestic feline, an unfortunate fate still awaits such species that seek refuge in local communities to meet their needs.
Born in Ilam, Fathollah Amiri is a distinguished Iranian documentary filmmaker. His passion for art and cinema began at a young age, leading him to Tehran to pursue his studies at the IRIB University, where he obtained both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in cinema.
With his impactful and realistic documentaries, he has vividly portrayed the lives of animals, people, diverse cultures, and social issues. His works have been showcased multiple times at prestigious international festivals and have won numerous awards. He is also committed to educating and training the new generation of documentary filmmakers in Iran.
Nima Asgari is a graduate of environmental and natural resources. He studied filmmaking at the Iranian Youth Cinema Society – one of the most prestigious filmmaking associations in Iran. He started his work in 2007 in the Iranian Cheetah Society as a researcher and cinematographer on endangered species, such as the Iranian cheetah.
His films are mostly about the relationship between humans and nature, and the effects of humans on the extinction of wildlife species. He is now the main member of the Wildlife Pictures Institute and has made more than 30 films and received numerous awards at international festivals.
Türkiye is among the richest European countries in terms of wildlife. However, the Anatolian wildlife is little known in the country itself and abroad. One of the best ways to raise awareness about this issue is through documentaries, with their artistic power and ability to reach wide audiences.
Wildlife filmmaking in Türkiye is a profession practiced by a few people and a field that has a relatively short history. Even if the number of programs about wildlife has increased in recent years, very few of them can be considered as documentaries. Thus, by organizing an international wildlife documentary film festival, it is aimed to introduce world-leading wildlife filmmakers and crews to the Turkish audience and to provide the right way of development for this field in Türkiye.
Ankara International Wildlife Documentary Film Festival seeks to attract national and international attention to Anatolia’s wildlife, contribute to nature conservation efforts, and support wildlife filmmaking.
Photo: Nima Asgari (second L) and Fathollah Amiri (second R) hold their award at the closing ceremony of the Ankara International Wildlife Documentary Film Festival on May 18, 2025.
SS/ SAB
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