Michael Whatling

The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova

This is a remarkable Canadian black comedy that leans towards the themes of the international and the familial. Sarah and Aaron are related, but their live paths have diverged a long time ago. While still solving their personal problems, they have to work together to fulfill the last wish of their Jewish grandmother, who got into a concentration camp aged 15 and has miraculously survived the Holocaust. They have to somehow find the remains of her favorite childhood pet – a dog that could dance on her hind legs, but is long dead and is buried somewhere in Poland. This is a well-formed film that refuses to employ sentimentality just for show.