'Stray', A Touching Documentary That Follows Three Different Homeless Dogs In and Around Turkish Society

Stray is a touching documentary film by Elizabeth Lo that takes a look into homeless dogs who make their way in and around Turkish society.

STRAY explores what it means to live as a being without status or security, following three strays – Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal – as they embark on inconspicuous journeys through Turkish society that allow us an unvarnished portrait of human life — and their own canine culture.

These dogs are a common sight as Turkey has a no-kill, no-capture policy for all stray animals. Lo’s film follows three very different dogs, Zeytin, Nazar, and Kartal, each of whom offers a different perspective on the need to survive. This concept is fully reflected not only in the lives of each dog but also in the lives of each human who takes the time to interact with them.

Zeytin, fiercely independent, embarks on adventures through the city at night; Nazar, nurturing and protective, easily befriends the humans around her; while Kartal, a shy puppy living on the outskirts of a construction site, finds companions in the security guards who care for her. The disparate lives of Zeytin, Nazar and Kartal intersect when they each form intimate bonds with a group of young Syrians who share the streets with them.