For one critic , '' Mid-Afternoon Barks '' was " a distinctive debut that does n't quite resemble any other Chinese pic out there , " and a film that had an " absurdist perspective . " A description of the film for its North American premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival suggested that the " unfinished " nature of the encounters that the characters go through are suggestive of a dream state , an observation echoed by critics . The film 's soundtrack is equally bizarre , incorporating seemingly random noises ( including titular barking ) whose sources are never revealed . Variety 's Derek Elley wrote how , " the enchanting score by Xiao He ... brims with strange , percussive sounds and accompanies the sharply edited scenes ( often punctuated by brief blackouts ) ... " The release of '' Mid-Afternoon Barks '' announced a new voice in Chinese cinema . '' Time Out 's '' David Jenkins wrote that the film , while requiring a tremendous amount of patience from the audience , was nevertheless a " dreamy , lyrical , and often baffling journey . " For some critics , however , the same qualities that were lyrical or dreamy to others proved alienating , and that the film 's tone could have been matched by simply " taking a walk outside . " Making its North American premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival , '' Mid-Afternoon Barks '' shared the Dragons and Tigers Award with fellow Chinese film '' Fujian Blue '' . In rewarding the film , the three-person jury ( South Korean filmmaker Jang Sun-woo , Bangkok Post critic Kong Rithdee , and producer Colin McCabe ) noted that the film was " witty ... and well observed . " The film 's unique score also did not go unrecognized . Xiao He 's work received a nomination for Best Score at the 2nd Asian Film Awards , though it did not win
Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
Mid-Afternoon Barks