Inja

I recently watched the short film Inja (Australian for "Dog") and found it to be very interesting. It was nominated for an Oscar in the Live Action Short Film category at the 75th Annual Academy Awards and I came across it while watch a collection of shorts. The film exposes racism and the idea that "the white man is boss." I will skip the summary and let you watch it yourself in the link I posted below, but what I really took away from this film was how much emotion it evoked for me; I was in tears by the end. Although I am a woman and an animal lover (double strike in the emotional department), I am not one to cry during films. The fact that this piece caused such an emotional reaction fascinates me. Why did it upset me? I have come to the conclusion that it was the ending that got me. The ending, where the dog has hatred for the boy who has had nothing but love for him, was all too familiar. The dog was mislead by the white man to believe that black was bad. Without ever giving a second chance, the dog that once loved the boy, growled and despised him. This happens in society. Some people despise those different from them because they are conditioned to feel that way. Society conditions us to look with pity on those that have disabilities, to want to normalize those that are different, to hate who our family and friends hate, and to question those who refuse to conform. This film raised many issues in my mind. The hatred the dog had for the boy, and the loyalty he had for the white man can be applied to so many situations in present day society.



Inja