ABOUT THE FILM
In Person: March 27
Virtual: Streaming March 31 – April 13
Nerdy Bellisha lives with his anxious mother, Giselle, in the working-class projects outside of Paris where their once-vibrant Jewish community is rapidly fading. The local synagogue has closed, and now the last kosher grocer is going out of business. Giselle feels isolated and wants to flee but her bumbling boy prefers to stay and pretend nothing is wrong, even if it means lying. To placate his beloved mother, Bellisha makes up escalating, entertaining stories to hide the truth about the antisemitic graffiti in their building or the electrician who refuses to enter their apartment after spotting their mezuzah, but his boyish nonchalance is tested as Giselle’s health declines and tensions rise in their neighborhood.
A NICE JEWISH BOY is a quirky light-hearted, coming-of-age tale about a boy’s devotion to his mother and the responsibilities that come with entering adulthood.
Seasoned screenwriter Noé Debré makes his directorial debut with this sweet comedy featuring a Chaplinesque performance by newcomer Michael Zindel as Bellisha and a sublime Agnès Jaoui as Giselle.
Director Bio: View on IMDB
Noé Debré is a French screenwriter and director born in 1986 in Strasbourg. His films include DHEEPAN (2015), STILLWATER (2021), WE’RE NOT ANIMALS (2021) and RACER AND THE JAILBIRD (2017).
