A tough, naturalistic coming-of-age story set in a remote, traditional Anatolian village with magnificent landscapes, Sivas plays like the polar opposite of the Turkish-language Mustang, (shown this year in Awards Buzz as France’s foreign-language Oscar submission.) Sivas is a Kangal sheepdog trained to compete in the brutal, illegal dogfights that are popular in the region. After losing a bout and being left for dead, he is rescued by 11-year-old Aslan, who is learning to be a man in a competitive, macho culture. Aslan thinks that he, rather than the son of the village leader, should have been cast as the prince in his school’s production of Snow White. He seeks to improve his status through Sivas.