A Service Tale

A Service Tale

Bruce Von Stiers

Many people have phobias. Some are afraid of the dark. Others don't like loud noises. Some people don't like spiders. Quite a few people, including myself, have an aversion to snakes. There are people who don't like cats. And there are some people who don't like dogs.

There is a short film that deals with someone who does not like dogs. The title of the film is The Sign.

The film opens with a woman jogging on a park path. She is kind of freaking out. She calls 911 and tells them that there is a dog in the park. And that this park is supposed to be dog free. She makes a big deal about the high taxes she pays and should be able to enjoy a park that has no dogs in it. Especially as there is a sign along jogging path that states dogs aren't allowed to be in the park. She indicates that she thinks she'll be attacked by the dog.

But all is not what it seems. The woman learns that the dog in question is a service dog. The “no dogs allowed” signage in the park doesn't mention an exclusion for service dogs. So, in the end, the woman does an extraordinary thing.

The dog in the film is Domino, a well-trained standard poodle.

James Kacey was Domino's handler or owner in the film. Monica Blaze Levitt was Karen, the voice on the phone. Melissa Mars provided the feet and legs for the Karen character. Levitt has starred in other short films such as Myth. Kacey has portrayed James Dean and a famed mobster in television appearances along with appearing in several films. Mars is an actor and film producer, whose film The Last Touch I reviewed some time ago. She appeared in John Travolta in From Paris With Love and with Vivica A. Fox in 6 Ways to Die.

One of the things that Karen asked during a different phone call was how did she know that the dog's handler wasn't faking it. This is a key point that is addressed at the end of the film. Just because someone looks and acts as if nothing is wrong with them, doesn't mean they don't have an illness or disability that isn't immediately recognizable.

The Sign was written, directed and edited by Melissa Mars. The film was produced by Mars' company, Made In Mars Studios.

Domino was raised and trained by Canine Support Teams, a group that provides specially trained dogs to “persons with disabilities to support their personal, social, and occupational independence.”

As I mentioned earlier, the point of this film is to make people aware that all disabilities aren't visible. I think that it did an excellent job of doing so.

The Sign will be a featured selection at the upcoming Garden State Film Festival. It will have it's world premiere at the festival on March 29, 2025 at the Asbury Hall at the Asbury Hotel in Asbury, New Jersey.

To learn more about The Sign and Made In Mars Studios, visit https://www.madeinmarsstudios.com/

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