Perspective Film Series:Beauty and the Dogs (2017)

Perspective Film Series:

Beauty and the Dogs (2017), dir. Kaouther Ben Hania

October 18
5:30 PM | Dome Theatre 

When Mariam, a young Tunisian woman, is assaulted by police officers after leaving a party, she is thrust into a night of relentless struggle. Determined to seek justice, she must navigate hospitals, police stations, and a system that seems determined to silence her and protect her abusers. As the night unfolds, Mariam fights not only to be heard, but to hold on to her dignity in the face of institutional indifference and intimidation.

Country: Tunisia, France, Sweden, Lebanon, Norway

95 minutes, in Arabic with English subtitles

Disclaimer: This film contains some difficult subject matter and imagery, including strong language, violent imagery, and references to rape and sexual violence, which may be triggering for some viewers.

FREE for members. Non-members: $10—your ticket to this screening includes admission to Contemporary Calgary. Our galleries are open from 12-5 PM for viewing prior to attending the program.

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About Perspective Film Series

Curated by associate curator Muriel N. Kahwagi, the 2026 edition of Perspective is conceived as a sustained meditation on disaster in its broadest and most resonant terms. While ecological catastrophe remains a central point of reference, the series extends beyond literal scenarios of environmental collapse or speculative visions of planetary ruin, approaching disaster as a condition that permeates both collective structures and private lives, unfolding across social, political, and emotional terrains. In this sense, disaster is understood not only as a single event, but as an ongoing state – slow, uneven, and often normalized through systems of power, habit, and belief. The films in this series examine how moments of crisis reshape perception and behaviour, revealing fractures in meaning, and reflecting on the ways in which hope may persist long after the moment of rupture has passed.

About the Curator
Muriel N. Kahwagi (she/her) is a writer and curator, working primarily across publishing and programming. Her research is centered on the politics of collecting and archiving the performative; and the act of listening as a form of preservation in and of itself. In 2023, she was the TD Curatorial Fellow at Art Windsor-Essex, and a curator as part of Vtape’s Curatorial Incubator, v.19. She is currently the Assistant Curator at Contemporary Calgary, and a programmer at the Toronto Arab Film Festival.