SEATTLE — The Year of the Dog is 2023 indie movie about a couple of strays. One husky. One human.
Rob Grabow plays Matt, an alcoholic rescued by a rescue dog. He's also the writer and director of "The Year of the Dog." Before Grabow became a movie maker, he was a Port Angeles High School junior who caught the acting bug when he was cast as an extra in a film being shot in the Pacific Northwest.
"They were shooting 'Snow Falling on Cedars' in Port Townsend. And so I got cast as a stand-in, a double for Ethan Hawke,” he said.
Today Grabow lives in Montana where "The Year of the Dog" was filmed. The movie's based on some of Grabow's personal experiences.
"I grew up a lot around a lot of struggle with addiction,” he said. "So it was a way for me to kind of heal myself but then also give voice to this idea of connection and community."
Grabow shares the screen with Native American actors Micheal Spears and Jon Proudstar, both play characters who guide Matt through his journey of leaving addiction and finding connections.
Key to that process is an adopted husky, Yup'ik, who's real name is Caleb. Grabow's canine co-star steals the show.
"Caleb is a real-life rescue husky. And he was passed between homes because people kept saying he was too much dog. He was too energetic," said Grabow. "And it's those qualities that made him so good on camera."
This is a movie that lives its message about leaning in and connecting: "The Year of the Dog" opened at 100 theaters across the country and gave 5% of theatrical proceeds to animal shelters in each community. Its Northwest debut was in Bremerton, and funds were raised for Kitsap Humane Society.
A movie that’s supporting the rescue animals that sometimes rescue us-- no matter what kind of shape we're in.
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