Sam Fuller: Writings with a Camera

"Sam Fuller: Writings with a Camera" takes us behind the scenes of the much discussed and highly controversial film, "White Dog". Directed by Sam Fuller in 1981, the film is based on the novel by Romain Gary which is centered around the theme of racism in American and conditionalized hatred. The central figure in the film is a white German shepherd, adopted by a young actress played by Kristy McNichol, who has been trained by previous abusive owners to attack any black person it sees. The actress enlists the help of Keys, a devoted animal trainer, to re-educate the dog and attempt to correct the conditioned racism taught to him from a young age. Due to its theme and subject matter, the film was not widely circulated at the time of its completion but was finally released on DVD in December, 2008. Director, Christian Blackwood visits Sam Fuller on set of "White Dog", observing him at work with the animals and actors as he explains his approach to filmmaking and his unique desire to "write with the camera."