What is the film about?

Dog Trust Urges Public Not to be ‘Sold A Pup’ in new campaign produced by Cardel.
Cardel produces a new TV advert for Dogs Trust directed by Cardel director Katarina Lundquist.

Dogs Trust, Ireland’s largest dog welfare charity has launched their emotive ‘Sold A Pup’ campaign, to highlight the cruelty and deception currently surrounding the illegal selling and advertising of dogs and puppies. The charity is urging the public to support their petition to stop the illegal sale of dogs and help stamp out puppy farming in Ireland.

Part of the campaign sees them launching an emotive new TV advert produced by Irish production company Cardel, directed by Katarina Lundquist and voiced by Irish singer, songwriter and composer, Lisa Hannigan.

The animation demonstrates the horrendous reality of where purchased puppies may come from and how easy it is for puppy farmers to hide behind the façade of online adverts.

A little background information...

Director Katarina Lundquist:

My intention for this film was to create an uncomfortable Christmas story based on our tragic reality, fitting for all ages. The goal was to make the audience become aware of the reality behind dog breeding, and genuinely wonder “what does happen to the mother dog…?” It was important for me to maintain a suitable emotional balance in the film, done through mixing the darker theme of the story, music and poem, with a softer and more child-friendly style for the visuals.

While working with the poem I immediately knew I wanted to complement it with visuals inspired by puppets and stop-motion; something to further enhance the telling of a Christmas story, while adding fragility to the characters. One of the most crucial parts to get right was the narration, and how the question of the little girl breaks the flow; marking itself as the core message. Despite the sad topic of the film, it was such a pleasant project to work on, and I’m very happy to have gotten the chance to help Dogs Trust in their important cause.

How was the film made?

Production:

When Cardel was approached by Dogs Trust we already firmly believed in animal rights and knew this was something we felt a sense of responsibility for and were fully committed to. Over the years we’ve built up a strong network of professionals and Katarina really was the perfect director for the job. Her ethic and spirit really just captured the tone and sensibility for this project with a real authenticity. Her ability to balance the message in a way that was direct but never overpowering is a fine line and shows real insight. It was a tight schedule, but Cardel collaborated with Stratostorm and the whole team really delivered 100%.