“Dog and Wolf”, interview with director Terézia Halamová

At the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, director Terézia Halamová premieres her short film, “Dog and Wolf“, in the Future Frames: Generation NEXT of European Cinema section. Supported by European Film Promotion and Allwyn, the program highlights promising new voices in European filmmaking. With “Dog and Wolf“, Halamová offers more than a film — she delivers a visceral meditation on identity, silence, and the unstable boundaries between reality and performance.

A Portrait of Identity in Collapse

“The film follows the different stages of his sleep deprivation and takes us through his chaotic life,” Halamová says of Rudo, her 25-year-old protagonist. This male stripper has abandoned sleep and stability in favor of a spiraling, nocturnal existence. But beneath the neon lights and club rhythms lies something far more fragile: a young man dissolving under the weight of his own disorientation.

Rudo’s story is told not in the language of exposition, but through image, rhythm, and absence. “Dog and Wolf” refuses to frame identity as fixed or knowable. Instead, Halamová suggests it is a mask worn in the service of others — and often, worn so long we forget what’s underneath. “Their daily routine is to change costumes and pretend, and to fulfill other people’s fantasies,” she notes. In Rudo’s world, the act of stripping becomes a metaphor for something far deeper — the emotional exposure of a man who no longer knows who he is when the lights go down.

A personal and generational metaphor

The film’s title, “Dog and Wolf“, draws from a twilight idiom that exists in French, Slovak, and Czech — “the hour between dog and wolf”, a time when darkness distorts perception and friend becomes foe, safety turns to threat, and clarity fades into confusion. For Halamová, the metaphor is deeply personal and generational.

“It’s this stage of life for many people in their 20s when everything feels chaotic… and the search for identity gets very messy,” she explains.

Silence as a Language

“Silence… is one of the most powerful tools in cinema. It can say so much more than any dialogue,” says Halamová. In Dog and Wolf, silence becomes a weapon, a refuge, and a mirror. The film builds emotional tension not through exposition, but by contrasting scenes of chaotic movement with moments of near-absolute stillness, inviting the viewer to project their own emotional interpretation into the gaps.

A Platform for Connection

Being part of Future Frames is more than a career milestone for Halamová — it’s a moment of shared visibility. “I’m 100% so honored and happy to get this platform,” she says. It’s not just about showcasing “Dog and Wolf” but about connecting with audiences and fellow filmmakers who recognize the emotional undercurrents running through her work.

Her hope for viewers? “Hopefully, they feel lighter about life,” she says. “If you leave the cinema somehow feeling lighter or seen or understood, that’s the most I could ask for.”

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