Rome International Film Festival 2008

Take a journey into the unexplored world of wiener dog racing, home to capacity crowds, healthy dachshunds and rabid owners. 'Wiener' unleashes the truth as it tracks America's fastest weenies on a tour of the professional dachshund racing circuit. Opening with the infamous 2003 Noodles-Pretzel incident, and ending with the 2005 Wiener Nationals, we crisscross the continent to get the inside scoop on what makes these champion dogs and their colorful owners tick.Our travels take us to dachshund races, field trials, hilarious 'earthdog' competitions, and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, where we snag a rare interview with Iris Love, Guggenheim heiress and patron saint of the dachshund world. Surprisingly candid interviews with some of the world's top showdog personalities, including famed Westminster judge Anne Rogers Clark, give us a crash course in wiener dog politics, and some background on the longstanding and divisive controversies that have dogged the dachshund community.Shocking allegations of animal exploitation, cheating, doping, and race rigging are also investigated. WIENER TAKES ALL, but in the end, it gives back so much more.