28th BIFF Luc Besson portrays depths of human struggle in 'Dogman'

French director Luc Besson speaks during the press conference, at the Korean Film Council’s headquarters, on Saturday, for the film’s screening at the 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Courtesy of BIFF

BUSAN ― French director Luc Besson explained the protagonist, a luckless troubled man, in his latest film “Dogman” is a condensation of all of the characters from his previous films.

“The character of Douglas is the summary of all the characters I have created over the 20 years. This is an implicative character that holds the essence of all previous characters,” the director said during the press conference, at the Korean Film Council’s headquarters, Saturday, for the film’s screening at the 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

The dark thriller, written and directed by Besson, revolves around an antihero, Douglas (Caleb Landry Jones), with a tragic backstory. He was abused by his father, who locked him up in a kennel with fight dogs and shot his legs, paralyzing him from the waist down.

Growing up as a social outcast, Douglas finds comfort among the canines and seeks to practice his own sense of justice.

The film, which competed at this year's Venice Film Festival, is invited to BIFF for the "Open Cinema" section.

A scene from the film "Dogman" / Courtesy of BIFF

Besson revealed that a real-life incident inspired the film's storyline.

“This was a true event. I developed the story after seeing an article about a father who locked his young son in a dog kennel. And I started this movie from imagining how this child will live his life afterward,” he said.

“When we endure a painful childhood, we are given an opportunity to make choices in our lives. I began this story with a question on whether this child would walk a wrongful path or a good one.”

He added that the dogs in the plot help the character stay on the right path.

"Ultimately, the protagonist of this movie chooses the path of goodness. The dog here is a great example that shows unconditional love. The character didn’t experience much love during his childhood, but because of the love he received from the dogs, he was able to be led onto the right path.”

The main focus of the story is how Douglas rebuilds his life after freeing himself from isolation, the director said.

“The structure of this script is simple. For example, there’s a Frankenstein monster. And everyone’s scared of that monster. But when you look closely, it’s not that bad, in fact, it’s lovely. In a way, the real monster isn’t actually him, but the people around him. And that’s the structure that I developed,” he said.

“I paid attention to the story that goes on after he is released from the kennel and gets freedom. Now he has freedom, but he is caught up in another set of constraints. Nevertheless, I wanted to show hope in that situation. Through the protagonist, I wanted to show that no matter how difficult it may be, one can break free from reality on their own will."