The 2014 film Black Beauty Breed celebrates the Rottweiler and all that distinguishes it from other members of the canine family.
As the title of the film suggests, Black Beauty Breed portrays the Rottweiler as a noble creature, stunning in appearance and graceful in motion. Aside from their exceptional physical presence, the movie affirms Rottweilers as remarkably intelligent and loyal.
The film goes to great lengths to earnestly characterize the breed as a desirable companion animal, hopefully correcting past stereotypes of the Rottweiler as unnecessarily fierce.
Though showcasing the dog’s more lovable qualities at several points in the film, Black Beauty Breed also emphasizes their uncanny abilities as service dogs, whether working in Search and Rescue (SAR) or as a therapy dog.
BarkPost recently had the opportunity to speak with the filmmaker, Angie Ruiz, who previously produced short documentaries about large cats, such as leopards and tigers, and one of our first questions was, “How much cooler than cats are dogs?”
“My Rottie’s best friend is a cat,” she replied, “and he also wears a collar with cats on it.” (We decided to let her slide on the subject of cats.) She adopted her Rottweiler, Samson, in 2007, an occasion that began her fascination with the breed. Samson, just like any other dog, loves car rides and spending time with his family.
BarkPost:Though Samson seems to have almost single-handedly demonstrated that Rotties are not rotten, what did you learn from the other Rottweilers and owners while making the film?
Angie Ruiz: Loyalty, friendship, resilience and great work ethic are qualities the Rottweiler exhibits and they are also qualities that the Rottie owners (that I met) exhibited! Pretty interesting! 🙂 🙂
BP: You used to produce documentary films about cats. Since converting to dogs, do you regret the time you spent documenting dogs’ natural enemies?
AR: My previous film was about the “Big Cats”: Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Tigers and their diminishing natural habitats. I was captivated by their extraordinary beauty and grace–the same way I am captivated with the extraordinary beauty and grace of my Rottweiler.
BP: Since Samson was adopted, will any of the proceeds for the film go to rescue or adoption initiatives?
AR: Our film screened theatrically in over 40 cities worldwide–a percentage of the proceeds from those screening went toward Canine Cancer Research, Dr. David Water’s Rottweiler longevity study and to several Rottweiler rescues. We will continue to give a percentage of our proceeds to these causes and we are also looking into setting up a Black Beauty Breed scholarship for college age kids pursuing studies in veterinary medicine with focus on canines.
BP: Outstanding. Do you prefer working with dogs over humans? We certainly do.
AR: I enjoy photographing animals and people. 😉
BP: One last question. In the future, will you make more movies about dogs?
AR: Yes—I will definitely do another film with dogs—possibly Black Beauty Breed Volume 2!
BP: Thank you so much for speaking with us, Angie!
Exploring all the facets of the Rottweiler, including its potential as a competitive athlete, Black Beauty Breed will either celebrate the elements of the Rottweiler you already love, or introduce to a breed of dog you only thought you knew.
Enjoy the trailer below and request that Black Beauty Breed be brought to a theater near you by clicking here.
