TIFF ’24: Embeth Davidtz Directs “Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight”

By Abe Friedtanzer

Actors becoming directors can feel like an event, especially when they opt to cast themselves in their projects. Embeth Davidtz, who grew up in South Africa, takes that auspicious step with a deeply personal story set in 1980s Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), screening the film at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, where she’s in good company with her Junebug costars, Amy Adams (Nightbitch) and Alessandro Nivola (The Brutalist). She now has her most significant role since Schindler’s List, thirty-one years back...

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight takes its cumbersome title from the book of the same name by Alexandra Fuller about her experiences growing up in Rhodesia in a highly transformative era. The film is told from the perspective of Bobo (Lexi Venter), a precocious eight-year-old who lives on a large farm with her sister. Her mother Nikola (Davidtz) sleeps with a large gun in her bed, and, as Bobo puts it, cares more for her animals than her human housemates, while her father (Rob van Vuuren) is actively involved in military operations on the eve of Robert Mugabe’s election. Bobo spends most of her time with Sarah (Zikhona Bali), a family employee whose fellow Black workers believe Sarah indulges Bobo far too much.

This was a highly volatile time in recent African history, and it’s interesting to see this story framed by Bobo’s point of view. She acts as if she doesn’t see color, which means that she often crosses lines, including taking objects left at burial sites designed to connect the dead with the living and bossing around a few Black children before being admonished for playing in a way that feels far too unfortunately true to life. She knows her mother has mental health issues, though she confuses manic for maniac, and is constantly on the lookout for terrorists who could be lurking nearby, on alert but still enjoying her life since it’s all she knows.

Venter is an extraordinary find, smoking a cigarette through the gap where one of her front teeth is missing and displaying boundless personality. This film engages with tough content and Venter handles it marvelously. Next to her, Davidtz has the most interesting role, conveying Nikola’s feeling that she has earned her right to the land she has and no one should be able to take it from her. The stark shifts to violent incidents feel appropriately jarring but germane to the way this story is told. Davidtz has a clear directorial vision that comes through in how she hones in on the complexities of these characters and the chaos of the era. It’s a strong debut indicative of great potential for her next feature. B+

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and makes its Canadian premiere in the Gala Presentations section at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.