Hopeful Dog Narrates His Confusing Experience With COVID in the Touching Short Film ‘Ollie’

Filmmaker Sadiel Gomez created the touching short film Ollie" in which a hopeful dog, played by Gomez's dog Charlie, narrates his daily life with his beloved human, who went to work every day until the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Ollie spoke about his overflowing joy of having his human home all the time until she left one day and didn't come back. Despite his hope of seeing his human return, a stranger came in and took him away from his home and into another world.

Ollie tells the story of the daily life of a dog at the beginning of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The dog realizes that his human has stopped leaving the house for work in the morning. ...But one day, the human becomes very sick and suddenly is gone. The dog stays alone for many days without knowing if his human will return.

Gomez spoke of working with Charlie and the profound lesson he learned from his own narrative.

Working with my dog Charlie as the main character proved to be a challenge of its own. It took countless hours to coax him into the right positions, and when I think back on this process, I appreciate the dedication required of any filmmaker working with animal actors. ...The journey of creating Ollie" has been a profound learning experience, reinforcing the belief that anyone with passion and determination can produce a piece of cinema that resonates deeply.

via Nag on the Lake