MICHOU D’AUBER

France/2007/French dialogue with English subtitles/Colour/35mm/124 mins

Nine-year-old Messaoud is a kid from Aubervilliers, a Parisian suburb. Because his mother is ill, his father is obliged to leave him in a foster family’s care. It is 1960, and events in Algeria are hitting French headlines. Gisèle (Nathalie Baye), Messaoud’s foster mother, decides to hide his true identity from the inhabitants of her cloistered village in Berry. But they’re not the only ones she wants to keep in the dark; most important of all is her husband, Georges (Gérard Depardieu), a former soldier. He mustn’t find out, either. So Messaoud becomes Michel, or more familiarly Michou. And it’s with this affectionate nickname, given to him by Georges and Gisèle, that he discovers rural France. But Gisèle’s lie, soon exposed, endangers this budding relationship.

“Algerian “Masoud” becomes French “Michou” and his black hair turns blond, so what does time have in store for this child? And how could he possibly fit into his new way of life? A humane comedy about social, political and religious coexistence.”

Director(s) :

Thomas Gilou

THOMAS GILOU is a screenwriter, director and producer. After directing numerous short films, including the César-nominated La combine de la giraffe (1983), his first features, Black Mic Mac (1986) and Rai (1995), were rooted in social reality, looking at, respectively, African and North African communities. His highly successful breakthrough film was Would I Lie to You? (1997), whose sequel was released in France in 2001.
Crew : Mathieu Amalric(Main Cast)Alexandre Desplat(Composer), Michel Feller(Producer), Pierre–Ange Le Pogam(Producer), Messaoud Hattou(Scriptwriter), Robert Alazraki(Cinematographer), Francine Sandberg(Editor), Gérard Dépardieu(Main Cast), Nathalie Baye(Main Cast), Samy Seghir(Main Cast), Medy Kerouani(Main Cast)
Format : Colour/35mm
Running Time : 124 mins
Country : France
Programme : Arabian Nights
Venue : Mall of the Emirates - CineStar 8, Mall of the Emirates - CineStar 8, Grand Cineplex 9, Grand Cineplex 9
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