Oscars: Canada Selects 'Watch Dog' for Foreign-Language Category

Sophie Dupuis' debut feature about a Montreal drug cartel stars Jean-Simon Leduc and Theodore Pellerin.


Canada has selected Sophie Dupuis' debut feature, Watch Dog (Chien de garde), for the best foreign-language film Oscar.


Quebec stars Jean-Simon Leduc, Theodore Pellerin, Claudel Laberge, Maude Guerin and Paul Ahmarani lead the $1.5 million crime drama's ensemble cast.


Watch Dog follows a young man who lives with his brother, mother and girlfriend in a small apartment in suburban Montreal. Constantly walking a tightrope, he tries to find the right balance between his very needy family, for whom he feels responsible; the collection job he works with his brother; and his involvement in the Montreal drug cartel run by his uncle, whom he sees as a father figure.


"We are extremely proud of the team behind Chien de garde, and we hope that its pursuit of the Oscar is marked by a series of truly memorable moments," Christa Dickenson, executive director of Telefilm Canada, said in a statement.


Distributed by Axia Films and produced by Bravo Charlie, Watch Dog was funded by Telefilm Canada and other local backers.