Director Todd Solondz Talks Wiener-Dog

Writer/Director Todd Solondz’s idiosyncratic comedies force his audiences to explore the difficult truths of the human existence. Never one to shy away from tough subject matter, Solondz’s imperfect characters have faced everything from rape and suicide to schoolyard cruelty and pedophilia; his willingness to confront the perverse in a way that is so unafraid and so unflinchingly honest is what led many to call Solondz an indie film revolutionary, forever changing the genre with his body of work.

So, when conceiving his most recent film Wiener-Dog what did Solondz have on his mind?

“I’ve never made a dog movie,” he says, matter-of-factly. Wiener-Dog is, of course, much more than a simple dog movie. At its core, it’s a deeply human movie. As Solondz describes, the film is “a chronicle of the life of a dog and how this particular dog spreads comfort and joy to the people she meets, bringing meaning to their lives.” With the titular dog as the catalyst, we get a glimpse into these characters’ personal lives and a front row seat to their many insecurities.

As to be expected, the film has all the characteristics of the of the Solondz oeuvre — quick wit, dark tragedy, familiar characters, and an incredible ensemble cast—but the film’s brainchild also found inspiration in classic films. He says, “The touchstones were movies like Au Hasard Balthazar and Benji. In between those two is where I think this film lies.” Solondz wrote the script several years ago. When thinking back to the motivation behind telling this particular story, he reflects, “I never know why I want to tell any story. You just put pen to paper and you write something. You find in writing the things that matter to you, and you explore that.”

Solondz’s exploration takes the form of a series of four vignettes, with characters connected only by the same warm, furry canine and by their shared misery in facing the realities of their day-to-day lives. There is Danny (Tracy Letts) and Dina (Julie Delpy), who are struggling in the aftermath of their son Remi (Keaton Nigel Cooke)’s battle with cancer. There is Welcome to the Dollhouse’s Dawn Wiener (Greta Gerwig), now grown up, who finds herself helplessly smitten again with former classmate/bully/would-be-rapist/first ever boyfriend Brandon McCarthy (Kieran Culkin), an anti-establishment drug addict. There’s Schmerz (Danny DeVito), a has-been screenwriter-cum-film-school professor, on the brink of personal and professional failure. And there is Nana (Ellen Burstyn), a misanthrope who must confront her own impending mortality after her granddaughter Zoe (Zosia Mamet) pays her a visit.

Of Wiener-Dog’s troubled protagonists, Solondz does not have a preference. “I don’t have a favorite character, whoever is in front of me at the moment is the favorite,” he remarks. This may be no surprise, given the all-star cast he assembled to bring his story to life. Solondz is pragmatic when it comes to the casting of his films: “I like to cast actors I like. And if they are available and if they like the script, I have to hope that it works out. I’m dependent on my cast for the movie to shine.”

Wiener-Dog is screening from Fri 12 August. Find out more and book tickets here.

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