The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova
The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova is a Canadian comedy-drama film directed by Zack Bernbaum. It follows Sarah and Aaron Cotler, siblings from Canada who travel to their grandmother’s hometown, Dąbrowa Górnicza in Poland, to fulfill her dying wish: to reunite with the cremated remains of her childhood dog.
The film stars Katherine Fogler and Douglas Nyback, with a broader supporting cast. Although the story is set in Poland, most of the movie was shot in Romania, thanks to the director and cinematographer Stephen Chandler Whitehead’s connections. Bernbaum drew on his own family life for inspiration, saying the setting reflects his grandmother’s hometown and the title comes from a family anecdote about the dog dancing with joy. It is not meant to be strictly autobiographical.
The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova premiered on October 27, 2018, at the Austin Film Festival and had its Canadian premiere at the Whistler Film Festival in the Borsos Competition. Critics noted that the film finds its rhythm as the siblings’ relationship unfolds. At the 2019 Canadian Film Festival, it won Best Feature, and Bernbaum won Best Director.
Running time: 102 minutes. Languages: English and Polish. It was produced by Ezeqial Productions and distributed by Film Movement.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:40 (CET).