In another life, Jan, my lead character, would have been a poet. He is sensitive, gentle, and has the richest imagination.

Despite his silence, he has a complex inner life. Like many men exploited in modern slavery, Jan is addicted to, and controlled by, alcohol. He is homeless, an immigrant from Eastern Europe without support networks in the UK, and he is a prime target for May and the toxic forces that control her. 

In Dog Run, Jan’s perception of the natural world is quite extraordinary. This was inspired by my own experience of recovering from a serious illness. Ever since then, I find my experience of the natural world, like Jan’s, is full and vivid. I have been drawn to nature and its beauty. It often appears majestic, often calming and sometimes magical. 

In Dog Run, Jan finds himself in the most desperate circumstances. Without realising it, he is a victim of modern-day slavery, performing gruelling manual labour on the driveways of oblivious Brits. He is bullied and belittled by his perpetrators and his world is becoming narrower by the day. Then he meets guard dog, Sabre. 

It makes sense to me that this man, who is highly sensitive, experiences the hardships of life so painfully and yet recognises its natural beauty so fully. Through the gentleness and friendship shown by Sabre, Jan finds his pocket of hope, and with it a window onto a vivid and beautiful world. Through his connection with Sabre, Jan finds a spiritual harmony with all things - the owl, the butterfly, the rabbit, even the sunlight.

I am inspired by John Steinbeck’s moral tales and, without giving too much away to the reader who has not yet viewed the film, I wish to present a moral tale in the story of Dog Run. There is a sense of karma in May’s predicament at the end of the film: she makes her workers and animals live in shit, and yet it is this very thing that, ultimately, is her downfall. May though is a victim herself and the glimpses we see of the distressing phone calls with the elusive ‘Sean,’ remind us of the cyclical nature of abuse.

It is Sabre who takes the initiative to change their circumstances, challenging the arrogant view that humans are superior to other species and have nothing to learn from them. Sabre offers Jan a better life, both physically and psychologically. Sabre and Jan are alike, but it is Sabre who is the catalyst for Jan’s awakening, and it is Sabre who ultimately takes action. 

I was inspired to make Dog Run by my childhood dog, Tilly. In the same way that Sabre offers support to Jan, Tilly provided me with support that no human could offer when I was unwell. Like Jan’s connection with Sabre, my connection with Tilly has made my life so much better. Dog Run is my ‘thank you’ to her, and to all animals who share our planet. Animal welfare, both on screen and in the making of our film, was of the utmost importance to our entire production.

Jan and Sabre experience an exquisite feeling of freedom that I am not sure can be articulated by any medium other than film. In Dog Run, I hope to conjure feelings that are inexplicable and play on our senses. In a harsh social realist world, I would like Dog Run to offer moments of relief and, ultimately, hope in its fleeting moments of magical realism.

Dog Run is set and filmed entirely in Wolverhampton, England, and is based on extensive research into the lives of victims of labour exploitation in the UK. In 2022, 16,938 adults and children were referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the UK government’s system for identifying and supporting victims of modern slavery. Experts estimate that the problem is much greater than official statistics indicate and that there could be around 100,000 people held in modern slavery in the UK and more than 50 million worldwide. I really hope our film will help the audience identify vulnerable people who, like Jan, are hidden in plain sight.

In an increasingly unequal, unjust and fragmented world, Dog Run speaks of values so often overlooked - kindness and equality between all things. Jan is the brightest star on the bleakest night and I am so proud to have told a story about someone who chooses not to shout the loudest, because words would never have been enough.