A Dog Named Palma


A Dog Named Palma is a 2021 Russian children's drama film directed by Aleksandr Domogarov Jr., based on real events that took place in 1974–1976 at the Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport.
It was released theatrically on March 18, 2021, by Central Partnership.

Plot

In 1977 Soviet Union, the owner of a German Shepherd named Palma flies abroad. But Palma hides at the airport and waits for her owner. She befriends nine-year old boy named Kolya Lazarev whose mother dies leaving him with a father he barely knows - a pilot who finds the dog at the airport. It is a story of amazing adventures, true friendship and unconditional love.

Cast

Production

In 1976 the Komsomol Truth published an article about this called Waiting for Two Years, written by Yuri Rost, in 1988, based on the article, a feature film was made Tethered to the Runway, directed by Vladimir Khmelnitsky.

Casting

More than 300 children passed the casting for the role of the boy Kolya Lazarev, before the director approved Leonid Basov. For him, this is his film debut.

Filming

Principal photography of the film took place in one of the airports near Moscow and the Belarusian Brest. The local airport, which retained its Soviet interiors and was not very busy, was best suited to reproduce the atmosphere of the 70s. About 500 residents of Brest were used as extras for the crowd scenes.

Release

The Russian premiere of the film took place on March 18, 2021 by Central Partnership.

Sequel

In October 2021, the film's creators announced they had begun work on a sequel, Palma 2. It was scheduled for release on March 20, 2025.