Gates of Heaven

Hailed by Roger Ebert as one of the 10 greatest films ever made, Academy Award winner Errol Morris (The Fog of War, The Thin Blue Line) turns his focus to a unique subject matter, pet cemeteries, their inhabitants, and the world of pet owners. When the Foothill Memorial Gardens pet cemetery, located north of San Francisco, closed (its land was sold for a housing project), the 450 animals interred there had to be moved to Bubbling Well Memorial Park in nearby Napa. Morris saw the transfer as an opportunity to explore the world of pet owners who are so devoted that they see nothing odd about giving their animals a full dose of the last rites. His simple technique was to film his subjects, usually seated, talking about their loved ones, alternating with shots of the two cemeteries and the move. This indie from IFC Films weaves an eccentric portrait of the American dream.