A Nice Jewish Boy
Director: Noé Debré Run Time: 90 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 2024 Language: French with English subtitles
Starring: Agnès Jaoui, Eva Huault, Michael Zindel, Solal Bouloudnine, Youssouf Gueye
Bellisha is a naive young man who lives in a small, working-class Parisian suburb with his anxious, mildly agoraphobic mother, Giselle. The once vibrant Jewish community that surrounded them is rapidly fading, leaving Giselle feeling isolated and wanting to flee. Bellisha prefers to stay and keeps a positive attitude, even if that means lying to his mother about the anti-Semitic graffiti in their building or the electrician who refuses to enter their apartment after spotting the mezuzah on their door frame. Bellisha’s boyish nonchalance is tested as Giselle’s health declines and tensions rise in their community.
Featuring a Chaplinesque turn from newcomer Michael Zindel as Bellisha, A Nice Jewish Boy is a light-hearted tale about entering adulthood and all the responsibilities that come with it.