Laurie Anderson's new film Heart of a Dog: loss, grief, and acceptance

September 18, 2015 10:14 AM

Heart of a Dog is musician and multimedia artist Laurie Anderson's first feature film in decades--a mix of live-action images and animation. The film is a personal reflection that grew out of a difficult period when Anderson lost her mother Mary Louise, her husband Lou Reed, and their beloved piano-playing dog Lolabelle within a short span of time. Although Heart of a Dog is a meditation on personal loss, grief, and acceptance, it also examines these themes on a larger scale when Anderson reflects on life in downtown New York in the period after 9/11.

"Of all the resonant bits of wisdom that Anderson leaves us with, it’s her eminently quotable suggestion that we learn to 'feel sad without being sad' that best encapsulates the film’s melancholy but never maudlin spirit. Inevitably, this is a movie that concludes with an extended rumination on death and the afterlife (complete with references to the Tibetan Book of the Dead), but Anderson insists on the importance of understanding each passing as not just an occasion for grief, but as 'a release of love'" (Variety). CBC Radio interview with Anderson about the film.

Heart of a Dog is currently doing the festival circuit; it was was in competition last week at the Venice Film Festival, and the film's final screening at the Toronto International Film Festival will be this Sunday, Sept. 20th. It has been acquired by HBO/Abramorama and will have wide theatrical release in North America in October as well as being shown on HBO in 2016.

Laurie Anderson previously on Metafilter.

posted by hurdy gurdy girl (23 comments total)

"wide theatrical release in North America in October" is one of the best things I've read all morning.

Whether it's wide enough to reach this second tier city or not, we'll see.

I was wondering what Anderson was up to. I'd been watching for United States V to go on tour this summer, but it didn't happen. Now I know.
posted by hippybear at 10:31 AM on September 18, 2015 [5 favorites]

Anything by Laurie Anderson has my attention. I will be seeing this.
posted by SansPoint at 10:35 AM on September 18, 2015 [4 favorites]

Can't wait to see this.
posted by doctor_negative at 11:12 AM on September 18, 2015

She is the one artist whose meditations on grief, loss and love I will expose myself to without guard or guile. She is unsentimental sentiment. Seeing the whole of the self without indulging it. Fully inhabiting her humanity while turning it to catch the light.

This, I shall see.
posted by Devonian at 11:24 AM on September 18, 2015 [4 favorites]

I really believe that the world of music owes a greater debt to Laurie Anderson as a pioneer than most people realize. She is great.
posted by 4ster at 11:26 AM on September 18, 2015 [3 favorites]

I would like this to be related to Pere Ubu's whimsy classic: Use Of A Dog.

(Not sure it is, though.)
posted by progosk at 11:28 AM on September 18, 2015

This is going to be heavy.
posted by gwint at 12:05 PM on September 18, 2015

I really believe that the world of music owes a greater debt to Laurie Anderson as a pioneer than most people realize.

The title track off the brand new Duran Duran album has an opening that has me thinking "O Superman" every time I hear it.
posted by hippybear at 12:14 PM on September 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

I saw her show in Toronto on Sept. 13 2001. Hard to explain how chilling it felt when she sang the line "Here come the planes."
posted by davebush at 12:18 PM on September 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

This is going to be heavy.

You know, I don't think it will - having listened to the CBC interview (where they cut 'bullshit', which is bullshit). I'm sure it'll be luminous and deep, but not heavy.
posted by Devonian at 12:27 PM on September 18, 2015

I want Laurie Anderson to be the voice of our new AI overlord.
posted by mikeburg at 12:30 PM on September 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

I want Laurie Anderson to be our new AI overlord.

I'm hoping this comes to Melbourne and I don't have to go all the way to the Adelaide Film Festival for it; but if I must, I'm ready.
posted by solarion at 12:36 PM on September 18, 2015

Am I the only one who was hoping this was an adaptation of Bulgakov?
posted by panama joe at 12:53 PM on September 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

The title track off the brand new Duran Duran album has an opening that has me thinking "O Superman" every time I hear it.
posted by hippybear at 3:14 PM on September 18 [1 favorite −] [!]

Absolutely spot on.
posted by 4ster at 1:23 PM on September 18, 2015

I hope the title alludes to Bulgakov.
posted by languagehat at 1:33 PM on September 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

<3 Laurie Anderson. Right about capitalism, as she is about much else.
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 3:29 PM on September 18, 2015 [3 favorites]

Always glad to hear of new work from Laurie Anderson. Thanks for this post.
posted by valetta at 7:12 PM on September 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

Metafilter: "It’s stealth PR. Nothing to do with ponies.”

(via Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane's link just above, in the footnotes. Who reads footnotes? Me. Is this a footnote? Possibly.)
posted by valetta at 7:24 PM on September 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

Oh fabulous. I saw her performance back in 2011 ("Delusion", I think), and am looking forward to seeing this.

I remember being touched when I saw her how much things had become a meditation on middle age and mortality and the entirety of life.
posted by rmd1023 at 7:36 AM on September 19, 2015

Oh! What a sweet idea (from the article linked by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane above): On Monday night there was also a bring-your-own-dog outdoor screening for locals.
posted by rmd1023 at 7:39 AM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

Going to see her next month at the armory in ny.

I wonder what Susan Sontag said to her...

http://armoryonpark.org/programs_events/detail/laurie_anderson
posted by brainimplant at 7:43 AM on September 19, 2015

I've never been a huge fan of Laurie Anderson, but I have enormous respect for her as an artist and a pioneer. I'm glad to hear about this.

[...] brand new Druan Duran album

This is news to me! And good news, at that!
posted by brand-gnu at 8:15 AM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

Chicagoans, it's just been announced that this will be playing in the upcoming International Film Festival, and Anderson is scheduled to be there in person.
posted by dnash at 10:45 AM on September 22, 2015 [2 favorites]