The Dog Who Stopped the War facts for kids

The Dog Who Stopped the War (which in French is La guerre des tuques, meaning "The Hat War") is a fun French Canadian film. It's a drama movie from Quebec, directed by André Melançon. This movie was the very first in a special series of children's films. This series is called Tales for All (Contes pour tous), and it was made by a company called Les Productions la Fête.

The Snowball War Begins

This movie is all about a huge snowball fight! It happens between kids in a small town in Quebec during their winter vacation. The children split into two groups, like two rival teams. One team defends a big snow castle, and the other team tries to attack it.

Meet the Teams

The attacking team is led by a boy named Luc. He calls himself "General Luc" and is known for being a bit bossy. The team defending the snow castle is smaller. It's led by Marc, who has a dog named Cleo. They also have a very smart boy named François on their side.

Building the Fortress

François is a genius at designing things. He plans out a huge and fancy snow fortress. Marc's group then works hard to build this amazing fort. It's strong and ready for battle!

Battles and Clever Plans

Luc arrives with his army, ready to fight. They wear homemade armor and carry wooden swords. They try to climb over the walls using a ladder. But Luc gets hurt during the fight, so he tells his team to retreat.

Surprise Attacks

Luc's team regroups and plans a second, secret attack. But Marc's team spots them! They fight back using snowballs soaked in ink. This messy trick helps them win the round.

Garbage Bag Armor

Luc doesn't give up easily. He attacks a third time, but this time his army is ready. They wear garbage bags to protect themselves from the ink! They manage to break through the fort's defenses. Marc and François escape through a secret tunnel using a toboggan.

The Final Showdown

The two groups meet and decide to have one last big battle. This fight will decide who wins the war. Luc shows up for the final siege with an even bigger army. He has convinced more (and younger) children to join him by offering them chocolate.

New Weapons and the End of the War

Luc's army also has new weapons, like slingshots and even a snowball cannon! Luc orders them to charge. Marc's team tries to slow them down with barricades. But Luc's army eventually breaks through the fortress walls. They start fighting hand-to-hand with the defenders.

Marc's dog, Cleo, comes to find her owner. Sadly, one of the fortress walls collapses, and Cleo is killed. The war immediately stops. Both sides, attackers and defenders, come together to help bury Cleo. The movie ends with a song called "L'amour a pris son temps," which means "Love Is On Our Side" in English. It's sung by Nathalie Simard.

Movie Releases

A special 2-disc DVD of the film came out in 2009. It was released by Imavision. Later, a Blu-ray version was released in 2015 by Unidisc. This Blu-ray used a new, improved version of the film from the original 35mm camera negative. Both the DVD and Blu-ray include a documentary. It's called "La Guerre des tuques...au fil du temps".