“Dasha Vasilyeva. A Lover of Private Investigation”

The series, based on Daria Dontsova’s book series, simply couldn’t do without pugs. The writer herself has long been renowned as one of the “ambassadors” of these furry creatures: her home is proudly called “Pug House,” and fans even organize pug flash mobs for Daria herself—last year, in Yekaterinburg, she was surrounded by 30 pugs in costumes. Dontsova happily describes her beloved dogs in her works, where they sometimes even participate in solving cases, albeit unwillingly. And in the story of Dasha Vasilyeva, the series’ main character, the absence of pugs would be extremely strange: after all, this woman moved to Paris with her entire pet zoo and began to conquer France not only with her unexpected successes in investigations, but also with the sweetest roommates, who set the signature tone of a cozy detective story by their mere presence.

«Kingsman: The Secret Service»

“This pug has achieved more in life than me,” joked the comments under posts featuring JB. He not only graced the first part of the franchise with his cute face, but also personally organized the promotional campaign for the second, appearing at the premiere in a stylish tailcoat and bow tie. But most importantly, it was on his fragile shoulders that the entire emotional component of the film rested. Early in their training, future secret service agents were required to select and raise a dog. And when a special bond developed between the protagonist and his puppy, their superiors suddenly imposed a new test of character: to finally become an agent, all candidates had to shoot their own dog, proving their composure. For the audience, captivated by Jay, this scene became especially tense, and its ending surprised everyone.

“Dune”

By dressing pugs in small hoodies and putting on them the same small ties, modern dog breeders began to forget that it was this breed that was a favorite among royalty and aristocrats during the Renaissance: to capture their beauty, great artists painted pictures and created figurines. Perhaps, remembering this historical period in the pug’s biography, director David Lynch put all the facts together and decided that his film adaptation must have a pug. And it does not matter that there was not a hint about him in the original book. Moreover, the Atreides family’s newly-minted assistant didn’t just sit in their castles; he even participated in battles: commanders held him in their arms during the most difficult battles against the Harkonnens and for the salvation of the entire empire. Remarkably, it was the pug who always ended up being one of the few survivors.

“Tenderly to Myself”

When it comes to the first film adaptation of a non-fiction book about psychology, no one can even imagine that a dog would play a key role in the plot. But in the new “Tenderly to Myself,” which hit theaters on March 5th, that’s exactly what happens. The situation was quite unusual from the start: the main character, Nadya, devastated by an impending divorce, accidentally came into the possession of a pug named Dantes, who lived with her now-ex-husband’s new girlfriend. The dog’s owner was away for a short time, and Dantes was deeply sad about it—so much so that he stopped eating. The dog’s distress forced Nadya to abandon all her problems and visit the veterinarian, where she discovered a profound truth: “People don’t die of sadness, but dogs can.” Thus, the heroine realized that even if a pug fully experiences its own emotions, she especially shouldn’t suppress them. She also needs help and care, not only from her loved ones, but from herself as well.

“Men in Black”

A rare case when a pug is introduced as an independent character, and even uses his cute body as a disguise, helping the alien not to arouse any suspicion in a crowd of people. The reasons why Frank left his home planet are unknown, but he clearly liked it on Earth – he settled in New York, joined the Men in Black and even became their informant on illegal visitors from outer space. And in the second film, Frank was even promoted to partner with Agent J, and the pug actively participated in the investigation, greatly amusing his other colleagues. He won the hearts of all viewers, but they did not see him in Men in Black 3: by the time the new installment of the franchise was filmed, the pug-actor named Mushu had passed away, remaining in the memories of fans as one of the most charismatic dogs in cinema.

“Marie Antoinette”

Returning to the theme of the breed’s royal roots, one cannot help but recall the incredibly aesthetic biopic about Marie Antoinette, directed by Sofia Coppola herself. The real queen adored pugs, so in the film, her little four-legged friend played a special role in her story. He seemed to emphasize that Marie Antoinette was not always the malicious, bitchy, and cynical woman her descendants remember her as. No, in the scene where, according to tradition, the queen must leave her home and say goodbye to her familiar life forever before her wedding, it is the pug that becomes her greatest loss. The heroine’s beloved dog is taken away from her right at the border, so that she finally understands how different everything will be now—her youth is over, adulthood and her ascension to the throne have begun. True, in reality, the queen did manage to get her precious pug back—almost immediately after the wedding.

“Patrick”

In this comedy, the pug plays the leading role, and that’s not even ironic. Patrick was inherited by Sarah from her beloved grandmother, who, it seems, made this decision not as a sweet and caring one, but rather, a strategic one. For the dog turned out to be far from a gift: he ate everything that wasn’t right, ran around where even humans weren’t allowed, and generally did everything to shake up his new owner, who was used to being convenient and quiet. With Patrick’s arrival, her life changed dramatically—awkward situations increased, but so did pleasant encounters. And the dog himself seemed to be only gaining momentum in his antics. “It’s too early to write him off. I can tell by his face he’s trying,” a handsome stranger told Sarah when they met the pug in the park. Thus began a fateful encounter for the girl—her second. The first was, of course, with the charismatic, grunting and terribly capricious Patrick.