A Dog Named Palma
Short description
A Dog Named Palma follows a shepherd dog who is left behind at an airport by her owner. While waiting for the owner to return, the dog forms a deep bond with a nine-year-old boy named Kolya. The boy is struggling with the death of his mother and is living with his father, a pilot he barely knows. As the dog and the child support one another, the father must work to earn his son's trust and decide between his professional life and his family.
The film was directed by Alexandr Domogarov Jr. as his first feature, preceding his later work Dead Mountaineer's Hotel. The cast includes Victor Dobronravov, Leonid Basov, and Vladimir Ilin. A joint production between Russia and Japan, the movie was written by Ekaterina Mavromatis and produced by Anton Zlatopolskiy, Ruben Dishdishyan, and Len Blavatnik.
Financially, the film performed poorly, earning 7 million USD against a budget of 110 million USD. Audience reception was generally positive, with a rating of 6.8 on IMDb based on 1,400 votes and a higher score of 8.1 on TMDB from 186 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- A version for Japanese release exists, which includes additional scenes filmed in Akita Prefecture on the island of Honshu with the participation of Japanese actors.
- Over 300 children auditioned for the role of Kolya before the director approved Leonid Basov.
- In the film, the publication from 'Komsomolskaya Pravda' appears not under its original title, but under the heading 'On a Leash Near the Runway' – as an homage to the creators of the television film of the same name from 1989, who were the first to tell the story of Palma.
- Rost's famous photograph from the article about Palma was almost completely recreated for the filming of the scene with the journalist.
- According to director Alexander Domogarov Jr., it was most difficult to film the German Shepherd Lily during the rain. In one scene, she was supposed to lie down and not move, but the rain prevented her from hearing the commands.
- The script is based on real events that took place in Vnukovo between 1974 and 1976. A dog left at the airport waited for its owner to return for several years, greeting every landing IL-18, the plane he had once flown on. In 1976, Yuri Rost's article "Two Years Waiting" about this was published in Komsomolskaya Pravda.
- Arthur Ivanov appears in a cameo role, introducing himself as: "Yuri, a journalist." This is a reference to Yuri Rost, a journalist for Komsomolskaya Pravda and the author of the original article about Palma.
- In one scene, Palma meets an English Setter, which is later taken away by its owner on a plane. This is a reference to the film "White Bim Black Ear".
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
