Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale (PG) PRESENTED IN 35MM FILM

Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale (PG, 1986) 40th Anniversary Presented in 35mm Film by The Revival House Perth

On a sprawling New Zealand farm, the loyal, unnamed sheepdog known simply as "Dog" narrates the everyday joys, rivalries, and romantic entanglements unfolding around him. His owner, the easygoing farmer Wal Footrot, navigates a comically complicated love triangle with the spirited Cheeky Hobson while contending with Wal's eccentric, infamously ill-tempered cat Horse and the perpetually unlucky farmhand Cooch. As the farm's colourful cast of characters and animals stumble through misadventures involving sheep shearing competitions, rugby matches, and small-town rivalries, Dog's wry, affectionate observations provide a loyal companion's-eye view of rural New Zealand life, capturing the warmth, humour, and gentle chaos of farm community with genuine heart.

Directors Murray Ball and Barry Barclay adapt Ball's immensely popular New Zealand comic strip into a beloved animated feature that captures the strip's distinctive blend of rural humour and genuine affection for its characters. The film's hand-drawn animation style faithfully translates Ball's recognisable comic-strip character designs to the screen, while Dog's wry narration provides the emotional throughline connecting the film's episodic farm adventures. Deeply embedded in New Zealand cultural identity, the film's affectionate portrait of small-town and farming life, peppered with distinctly Kiwi humour and vernacular, has made it a cherished touchstone of New Zealand cinema. Footrot Flats remains a beloved classic of Antipodean animation, its gentle comedy and genuine warmth continuing to resonate with audiences across generations.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.

When: Sunday, November 29th at 4:15PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: PG (The content is mild in impact)

A beloved slice of Kiwi comic-strip charm—experience this cherished piece of Antipodean animation on 35mm film.