Few things in this world compare to the unbreakable bond between a man and his dog — and that relationship is perfectly captured in this award-winning film told through the eyes of a dying dog.
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Moon and Denali weathered tough times, the worst being Moon’s stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2004.
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Moon said that throughout the entire ordeal, Denali was a constant source of strength and support. “The thing that’s really special about dogs is they’re just there for you, and they don’t really expect anything,” he said.
Moon successfully beat cancer, but tragedy struck a decade later, when Denali began his own battle with the disease. Denali’s health started to deteriorate — he was running out of time. So Moon’s friend Ben Knight offered to make a film of the pair to capture their final days together.
Taken at their favorite place — the beach — the film starts with a voiceover of Denali saying: “I’m pretty sure Ben knows I’m dying.”
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Shot from the dog’s perspective, the film — entitled Denali — tells of the pair’s adventures together, from yoga and camping to ‘surfing’ in the desert.
“I asked my dog if he could please stick around [for the shoot], because it would mean a lot to me,” Moon said.
In the film, Denali says that most people would have left their dying dog at home. But not so Moon, who took Denali back to their favorite place one last time.
Denali even offers a snippet of advice that humans can learn from dogs: “When someone you love walks through the door, even if it happens five times a day, you should go totally insane with joy.”
Watch the tear-jerking film below:
The short film won the People’s Choice Award and the Best in Show at the 5Point Film Festival earlier this year. Moon said: “I was hoping it would be able to touch those who didn’t even have a dog.”
Denali is not only a film about a man and his dog — “it’s a love story,” Moon said.