Julius Caesar Was Buried in a Pet Cemetery (ft. Yo La Tengo)

Filmmaker Sam Green was heading out of town from a documentary screening when his friend offered to make a quick detour. “She asked if I wanted to see a little pet cemetery that's across the street from the airport,” Green told The Atlantic. Armed with his camera, Green captured the tombstones of a menagerie of dearly departed animals, some dating back to the early twentieth century. His short film, Julius Caesar was Buried in a Pet Cemetery, showcases the pets’ final resting place—and the human love they once inspired.

Green said he finds graveyards for pets especially moving because the headstones tend to be much more emotive than in human cemeteries. “You can say, ‘Buster was the best parakeet who ever lived,’” said Green. “With human graves, everything is so much more constrained. People love their animals in such an intense way and are able to express that love in a much freer way than they can express things about people they've lost.”

"Julius Caesar Was Buried in a Pet Cemetery" was directed by Sam Green and scored by Yo La Tengo. It is part of The Atlantic Selects, an online showcase of short documentaries from independent creators, curated by The Atlantic.

Subscribe to The Atlantic on YouTube