The Dog Who Stopped the War

The Dog Who Stopped the War

This comedy/drama of camaraderie and rivalry is the first film in Québec producer Rock DEMERS's original Tales for All family-film series. It is a modest and endearing children's tale of two gangs of school children who spend their winter break immersed in a war game in which the victors win an extraordinary fortress built of ice and snow. When Luc (Cédric Jourde), the aggressive leader of the attacking gang, meets Sophie (Maripierre Arseneau-D'Amour), the leader of the rival gang, complications arise. Good natured at first, the game gradually turns antagonistic and eventually reaches an abrupt and disturbing conclusion, teaching the youths a difficult but valuable lesson: neither side wins in war.

The Dog Who Stopped the War/La Guerre des tuques (1984), which was directed and co-written by André MELANÇON, mercifully avoids the maudlin and delivers a crisply made allegory aimed at children but made palatable for adults. It was very popular in Québec at the time of its release, and found an audience outside the province. It won the Golden Reel Award for the highest-grossing film at the domestic box-office in 1985, and also won a Genie Award for best editing.