102 mins – Drama
Festival release date: October 27, 2018 (Austin Film Festival)
DVD Release date: September 22, 2020
Production company: Ezeqial Productions
Canadian distributor: Film Movement

The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova follows estranged brother and sister, Aaron Cotler (Douglas Nyback), a stubborn and high-strung statistical analyst and Sarah Cotler (Katherine Fogler), an unemployed free-spirit. They arrive in Poland in the middle of the night to begin a journey in the hopes of finding the remains of their Bubbie’s childhood dog, Peter and they don’t appear able to agree on anything, even when it comes to finding a taxi. They eventually are able to get a ride thanks to a hostile Polish woman who offers to drive them to the address their Bubbie had given them. It turns out that the place no longer exists. Throughout the film, the strength of Aaron and Sarah’s relationship is repeatedly tested. As they strive to fulfill their Bubbie’s last wish, they slowly start to realize that they must put their differences aside, forgive one another, and work together in order to find what their grandmother had sent them to Dombrova
for.

Director Zack Bernbaum describes the film as “an absurdist drama.” The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova had its Canadian Premiere at the Whistler Film Festival on November 30, 2018.

Also see: An interview with Zack Bernbaum.