No Dogs Allowed
original title: No Dogs Allowed
2024, 106 min., color, German
CATEGORIES : Drama, Debut, LGBTQ
COUNTRY: Germany
PRODUCTION : BUDGET : 1 057 500 euro
FESTIVALS & AWARDS
CAST
Carlo Krammling, Robin Sondermann, Katharina Marie Schubert, Sean Douglas, Bineta Hansen, Sithembile Menck
CREW
Director : Screenplay : Stephan KämpfCinematographer : Manuel Meinhardt
Producers : Marcos Kantis, Martin Lehwald, Felix Ruple

COMMENTS
FESTIVALS: Filmschau Baden-Württemberg 2024, European Film Festival Göttingen 2024, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival /PÖFF 2024 (First Feature Competition /World Premiere)
Jury statement, PÖFF “Mr. Bache has made a movie for today (and tomorrow) dealing with one of the most taboo subjects in society: paedophilia via online grooming. But it is made with absolute sensitivity and vulnerability, thanks to the excellent cast and in particular the two lead characters. There are no clichés here and most importantly it is a film for every parent who thinks they know what their children are doing, often online in their own home. But in reality they deny, ignore or rationalise ‘this could not happen in my house’. But this makes this movie a must-see.”
DIRECTOR’S AND SCREENWRITER NOTE:
According to research by the Charité in Berlin, the first signs of a pedophilic tendency can be found as early as puberty. Every pedophile was once young, fell in love for the first time like all of us, wondered if the other person felt the same way, and played out sexual fantasies in his head.
During several years of research, we met ‘Mojo’ in an anonymous chat. A fifteen-year-old boy who told us about his fantasies, fears and confusion. A young person who doesn’t know what he really wants, what is right and what is wrong. He has desires he doesn’t want to share with anyone. Except with an older man he met on the darknet and calls ‘mentor’. And how this man, it seems, gains more and more influence over the boy. […]
The teenager Mojo was not our only interviewee. Another young person told us about his fantasy of having an equal relationship with a child – at eye level. His fantasy did not involve abuse or oppression. But at the same time, he knew that there was a power imbalance in reality and that if he wanted to act on this fantasy, he would exploit that power.
We have talked to many pedophiles, both young people and adults. These conversations have also shown us that it is difficult to live with these feelings. But it is possible to find a way to deal with them. Even if it means a lot of self-control, therapy and sometimes loneliness. We want the audience to leave our movie with that perspective.
NO DOGS ALLOWED is not a movie about how to become an abuser. It’s about how not to become one.
SYNOPSIS
IS HE AN OFFENDER OR IS HE A VICTIM?
In order to finally talk to someone about his pedophile tendencies, 15-year-old Gabo becomes friends with the much older Dave. But the adult wants to live out his own sexual fantasies with Gabo. When Dave is arrested on suspicion of statutory rape, Gabo must suddenly decide whether to testify against his mentor and risk exposing his own secret.
PRESS
Bache’s directorial approach and Kämpf’s screenplay are harsh since they do not sugarcoat or hide anything along the way; yet, they are exceedingly careful as they gradually manage to transport viewers into a territory that is extremely unsettling, doing so one step at a time but still placing them in a position of being torn between two moral judgements. […] All in all, Bache’s debut is an accomplished work. The helmer decides to kick off his career in the feature-film business with one of the hardest subjects ever, and does so with tact and solid directing. It’s a start that bodes well for his future – that of a filmmaker who probably believes cinema is not there to mirror reality but, rather, to dig deep into it, even at the cost of uncovering its horrors and disgraces. – Davide Abbatescianni, Cineuropa
‘From the outset, we decided to tell the story through Gabo’s perspective; however, we were worried about not being able to find Gabo, which would change our visual perspective. We wanted to connect intimately with Gabo while exploring his dark world. To achieve this, we opted for a darker aesthetic that highlighted shadows on his face, emphasizing his inner turmoil. We also adopted a voyeuristic approach by following him closely throughout the film so that audiences could share his perspective.’ – Steve Bache to Milani Perera, International Cinephile Society
Congegnato come un film di genere avvincente, come un thriller, con suspense e intreccio narrativo, No Dogs Allowed non giudica, lascia il giudizio al pubblico o dimostra l’impossibilità stessa di un giudizio una volta che si esplorino i meandri più reconditi e oscuri della mente umana. Ma il film è soprattutto su una società (esemplari in questo senso le figure negative della madre e in parte della poliziotta) – pur avanzata come quella tedesca, dotata di un programma di prevenzione cui Gabo prova a rivolgersi salvo chiudere subito la telefonata – incapace di comprendere il fenomeno, che deve categorizzare, colpevolizzare, estirpare. E questo vale in generale, anche oltre il fenomeno ascrivibile come pedofilia. E in tal senso il film è davvero devastante. – Giampiero Raganelli, QUINLAN
It’s unfortunate that these minor missteps threaten to derail an otherwise well-crafted and bold film, held together by Krammling’s poignant performance. Despite these flaws, Bache and his cast still achieve something remarkable by telling a story that feels impossible to tell.– Earl Peterson, Journey Into Cinema
The way the filmmakers build their thriller around an adolescent’s errors in judgement that have incarcerated him in a self-made prison, is particularly effective. There is the presence of something more nuanced here that could take the audience deeper into the film. Especially as Bache and Kämpf recognise that their film is about the unspoken truths that linger in our silence and fear of vulnerability. – Paul Risker, DMovies
Director Steve Bache’s debut is not your ordinary coming-of-age film, confronting taboo subjects that will shake the viewer to the core, asking questions about what we are born as and what life can turn us into. – Triin Tramberg, PÖFF