“I kissed her on the head and I said, ‘I’ll love you forever.’” Experimental artist and director Laurie Anderson makes this solemn oath not to a newborn child or a cherished lover, but to her beloved rat terrier, Lolabelle.

Anderson’s new doc, “Heart of a Dog,” is a tribute to the late Lolabelle and a meditation on grief. The connection between love and death is at the center of the film, which incorporates video diaries, animation and discussions of Buddhist conceptions of the afterlife. Lolabelle certainly seems worthy of the attention: the super-canine, who went blind in old age, took lessons on a dog-friendly keyboard and learned to play music.

“Heart of a Dog” made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The film will open in theaters on October 21 and air on HBO in early 2016.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/8L4tpwxO-720.mp4