“Last Minutes with ODEN” — raw, powerful short film

The video in this post  is two things: the best short documentary film I have ever seen, and a very raw look into one of the saddest days of a man’s life. A man whose life once meant only desperation, fear, crime and prison, but it was turned around by a faithful dog who showed him constant devotion and loyalty, and taught him the meaning of love and friendship. A dog now in too much pain so suffer any more.

This beautiful film is not easy to watch, and if you love dogs, it will be harder.  If you have ever lost a beloved pet, you will probably be weeping by the end of it.  It may be hard to watch if you are sensitive to rough language; the “F” word is a turn-off for some people (I’m looking at you, Mom), but you will come to understand this is a man who has been to Hell and back, and has found a new life, in part because of Oden.

I really had a lot of respect for the characters in this film when it was over.

It’s shot on the Canon 7D, a new DSLR still camera that also shoots full HD video.

It’s a model of powerful storytelling. I’m not going to say any more about it, but I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings about it in the comments section.