‘I think animals are the thing. Not people.’ Two brothers, and the wild company they keep

While walking down the street with friends roughly a decade ago, the US director Matthew Salton spotted a raccoon eating cookies in a small backyard pool. After hearing a shout from a nearby house, he met brothers Gary and Michael, who had long been feeding the raccoon, and decided to make a short documentary about them and their animal visitors. The resulting film is a brief glimpse into their life, which seems to be centred on watching old movies and fussing over the six raccoons that visit their home. Skeptical of other people and the outside world, the brothers have become attached to the animals, which they believe get a ‘bad rap’ from people. Salton’s film is as rugged and endearing as its subjects, and poignantly captures the human desire for connection – even for animals considered less than lovable by some.