History Rains Cats and Dogs in “The Dog’s Story Part II”

Some of the most exciting works in our festival are those made by kids. Their inventiveness and passion demonstrates that they aren’t waiting until they’re older to be called “filmmakers.”

"Dog's Story Part II" still image
Khan Catirius, feline villain of The Dog’s Story Part II, caught in a sandstorm.

The quality of these works is epitomized by Arkhip Varfolomeev, a young animator whose work has been featured in our festival before, as his short film The Dog’s Story was part of our 2019 program. This year’s entry, The Dog’s Story Part II,  is a direct sequel to the latter, but don’t worry if you missed the previous chapter, as Varfolomeev starts this film off with a handy summary of the last one.

Arkhip Varfolomeev
Director Arkhip Varfolomeev

The tale, told with humor and energy, concerns an ongoing battle between dogs and cats, and is clearly inspired by the real historical conquests of past warlords. Varfolomeev has clearly researched his character’s costumes, as he references elements like Renaissance clothing and samurai armor.

Varfolomeev is a gifted animator and illustrator, and he has both unique vision and style.  His character designs are creative, engaging, and funny, and his black-and-white line drawings evoke the work of independent comic book artists. He also provides many of the character voices and foley, which gives the work a fresh, idiosyncratic flavor.

Varfolomeev is a truly talent to watch, and we have no doubt he’ll continue to evolve to become a major force in international animation.

Don’t miss this film in BAICFF 2020, as part of our program Shorts By Kids: All Ages!

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