POE9 (the puppy of east ninth street) is a story filmed in the tradition of Italian neorealism. It takes place on the streets of Manhattan’s East Village with non actors and small shop owners playing themselves. Here we find a young woman who has just found a puppy in her trash can. Feeling responsible to find the owners of this bundle of matted fur she embarks on a journey placing flyers (in an homage to Antonio Ricci movie posters) and talking to locals around the neighborhood - particularly the artist enclave - east ninth street block. The director, Chris Edwards, is an apprentice and student of Amir Naderi, legendary for his mise en scene and feature film triptych depicting life in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. As such, our characters journey is filled with beautiful cinematography and long takes and beautiful pacing leading to an ending that is both joyful and sad. A true homage to the arts that permeate the film’s locale.