Pet Cemetery

Next year I'm going to be part of a class at school called "Documenting Justice." The course is year long, and we will learn something of the art of documentary film making. The first semester will be studying the idea and genre of documentary, trying to understand the power a film maker has over someone with a camera in his hand, with the ability to include only what he desires in the final cut. During the second semester we will pair off, each pair making an 8-10 minute documentary on the social justice issue of their choice.

In preparation for this class, we have been instructed to view a number of different documentary films, one of which is entitled, "Gates of Heaven."

Gates of Heaven is about the six very strange individuals that surround the day to day operation of a pet cemetery. I haven't finished watching it, but so far, it is one of the strangest things I have ever seen. You can imagine the demeanor of a man whose sole dream in life is to create a place where people can give proper burials to their long lost loved ones, who might be dogs, cats, rodents, horses, snakes, birds, etc.

But this strange man makes an interesting point: He says that sometimes the loss of a pet can be just as severe as the loss of a child. Humans, he says, can only be known while you stand face to face with them. Once you turn your back, you can't really know them. You can't know a human won't turn on you, betray you. You can't know whether or not a human will be there when you need him. But a dog, on the other hand, you can always know. You can know that when you turn your back, they'll be there right behind you. They won't attack you or seek their own interests at your expense. They're loyal. This, he says, is why so many people are so attached to their pets. When they need someone to cry to, they bury their head in the fur of a dog.


A man and his dog. A man who lives in a world where dogs and cats can be trusted more than men. Could this mean that all of us, whether religious or not, are aware of the fact that we as humans are broken, in need of fixing?

I don't think dogs, cats, rodents, or snakes are going to fix the problem.