Sam Fuller: Writings with a Camera

1981 / 20 min. / color
Directed by Christian Blackwood

“White Dog” was a much discussed and controversial film directed by Sam Fuller in 1981, based on a novel by Romain Gary. Its theme is American racism. The central figure is a white German shepherd, adopted by a young actress played by Kristy McNichol, who discovers that the dog had been trained to attack blacks. She takes it to a black dog trainer played by Paul Winfield for reeducation. The film has never had wide circulation because of its theme and subject, but it was finally released on DVD in December, 2008.

This 20 minutes documentary is a visit with Sam Fuller on the set of “White Dog”, observing him at work with the fierce dog and his actors. He explains his way of making films. “I write with the camera” is one of his revealing statements, or “Film is like a battle-ground: Love, hate, action, violence, death… In one word EMOTION.”