In 2011, renowned multidisciplinary artist Laurie Anderson – whose eclectic career spans music, drawing, storytelling, performance and more – suffered the loss of her beloved rat terrier Lolabelle as part of a succession of family deaths that also included her mother and husband, legendary musician Lou Reed.
In this strikingly personal essay film, Anderson uses her close bond with Lolabelle to anchor her reflections on subjects as diverse as family memories, surveillance, and Buddhist teachings, with her own melodic voiceover narration overlaying a complex tapestry of images (including Anderson’s own animations, 8mm home movie footage, and lots of lovingly photographed dogs). Suggesting Chris Markers’ landmark essay film Sans soleil in its connections of disparate themes and images, Heart of a Dog is dreamy, comic, philosophical and intensely emotional – and like Anderson herself, it defies easy categorization.