On the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwest China, former local celebrity Lang (Eddie Peng) returns to his hometown following a lengthy prison sentence. Keen to put the past behind him, he gets a job working with a dog patrol team tasked with clearing strays ahead of the impending 2008 Beijing Olympics. Unexpectedly, Lang finds a kindred spirit in a malnourished black whippet named Xin, giving the two lonely-yet-resilient souls a respite from their woes.

Winner of the Un Certain Regard prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Black Dog offers a one-of-a-kind blend of crime thriller, neo-noir and canine comedy, topped with a Wes Anderson-esque sensibility and visual style. A soulful crowd-pleaser about finding solace in unexpected places, it is not to be missed.