Released from jail, Lang returns to his hometown in Northwest China. While working for the local dog patrol team to clear the town of stray dogs, he strikes up an unlikely bond with a stray black dog.

On the edge of the Gobi Desert in Northwest China, Lang returns to his hometown after being released from jail. While working for the local dog patrol team to clear the town of stray dogs before the 2008 Olympic Games, he strikes up an unlikely bond with a stray black dog. The two lonely souls embark on a new journey together through vast expanses and desolate streets.

Quietly observant and cinematically captivating, veteran director GUAN Hu’s latest film centres the lives of those, both human and non-human, left behind in the process of modern China’s rapid growth. Led by acclaimed star Eddie PENG, whose stoic performance belies waves of emotion, and his fierce canine companion (winner of the Grand Jury Prize, 2024 Palm Dog Award at Cannes), Black Dog is a story of the unexpected bonds forged on the margins of a country undergoing rapid change.