The City and the Dogs

Francisco Lombardi's 1985 Peruvian film is adapted from Mario Vargas Llosa's novel, with the author himself working on the screenplay. At the Leoncio Prado military academy in Lima the cadets live under two separate orders: the official discipline of the officers and the hierarchy of violence the students impose among themselves. A group of four steals an exam paper to beat the system and the chain of events ends in a death. What follows is about how the school covers it: the institution's reputation matters more than the truth. The film treats class, race and masculinity through the academy and clears none of its characters. It is counted among the best known works of Peruvian cinema. Who it's for: viewers who like Latin American cinema and literary adaptation. Who it's not for: anyone who would rather not approach bullying and violence against animals.