More than just a simple tale of a girl and her dog

A MUTT named Hagen is the central character in White God, a film by the Hungarian director Kornel Mundruczo that - while it features canines of indeterminate pedigree as well as a doggy stampede to remember - is not actually a story about shaggy dogs. Beneath the simple tale of a young girl trying to find her loyal pet is a deeper, darker allegory about society's ills and marginalised minorities.

By using man's best friend as a symbol of the oppressed and suggesting that mixed breeds are less equal than their pedigreed brethren, the filmmakers not only venture into Orwellian territory, but they also make a statement about the perils of nationalism and the dangers posed by right-wing elements of the power elite. That - and the sizable challenge of getting 250 excitable canines to behave convincingly on screen - helps to set White God apart from the rest.

The pre-opening credits sequence gives an early, eerie hint of the film's dark nature. A young girl, Lili (Zsofia Psotta), rides a bicycle through the deserted streets of Budapest; we're not sure exactly why, but the sense is that some apocalyptic event has occurred. Then we witness a large pack of dogs rounding a corner at full tilt, and they're either chasing Lili or following her (the distinction is significant).