Brad Pitt praised his experience working with a German Shepherd called Uber whilst filming "Heart of the Beast" at San Sebastian Film Festival on Wednesday. Beyond his acting performance, Pitt used the occasion to celebrate the current state of independent cinema, arguing it has become as strong as the 1990s thanks to new distribution channels and discovery platforms emerging from digital sources like YouTube and the internet.

Shooting took place over gruelling 12-hour days in New Zealand's wilderness, with cast and crew forgoing trailers and sitting on logs in wet, cold conditions. The film, directed by David Ayer and co-starring J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe, follows Pitt as a Special Forces veteran stranded in Alaska with a traumatised military dog; critics have welcomed it warmly, with Variety noting it resembles "an old Disney movie" in spirit and praising both Pitt's and the dog's performances.