The Dog has been screening to acclaim at film festivals around the world since its premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Now it’s on limited cinema release in the US from Drafthouse Films, and will be on iTunes on August 15th, so it’s a great time for a new trailer.

The documentary tells how a young bisexual man’s desire to help his lover get gender-reassignment surgery, led to the bank robbery that inspired the classic 1975 Al Pacino movie, Dog Day Afternoon.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘John Wojtowicz’s libido was unrestrained even by the libertine standards of the era, with multiple wives and lovers, both women and men. In August 1972, he attempted to rob a Brooklyn bank to finance his lover’s sex-reassignment surgery, resulting in a 14-hour hostage situation that was broadcast live on television. Three years later, John was portrayed by Al Pacino as “Sonny,” and his crime immortalized in one of the most iconic New York movies of all time, “Dog Day Afternoon.” The film had a profound influence on Wojtowicz, and when he emerged from a six-year prison sentence, he was known by his self-imposed nickname: “The Dog.”

‘Drawing upon archival footage, the film shuffles between the 1970s and the 2000s. Touching upon the sexual revolution of the 1970s, we gain a first-hand perspective of New York’s historical gay liberation movement in which Wojtowicz played an active role. In later footage, he remains a subversive force, backed by the unconditional love and headstrong wit of his mother, Terry.’ [Read more…]