Filmmaker Statement

Since childhood I’ve had a deep passion for animals, which made Laika’s story profoundly unsettling. What struck me was the paradox: a stray dog carrying the ambitions of a nation, reduced to a pawn in a ruthless power game. Yet humanity is not entirely lost: through the bond between Laika and Dr. Adyla we glimpse love, compassion and family affection. Laika discovers happiness only to sacrifice herself for the one person who truly cared for her. It is a dramatic and unjust fate, but through animation we chose not to depict only suffering or propaganda. Instead, we allowed Laika to dream, to experience beauty and magic before her inevitable end. The film balances reality and fantasy, truth and dream, inviting viewers to see the world through Laika’s eyes. Magic became the key: a way to transform a story of cruelty into a universal reflection on empathy, sacrifice, and the fragile beauty of life.