Man is Woman

This offbeat romantic comedy and Yiddish musical was a surprise blockbuster in France, at one point beating TITANIC’s spectacular box office grosses. Simon, portrayed by the handsome, intense French theater and film star Antoine de Caunes, is a cynical Parisian jazz musician. Rosalie, played by beautiful, charming Elsa Zylberstein (MINA TANNENBAUM, SF JFF 1994) is an extroverted Yiddish folk singer, an observant girl who is keeping herself pure for the man of her dreams. After hearing Simon play klezmer clarinet at his cousin’s wedding, she decides he is the one. Simon, who isn’t interested in nice Jewish girls, accepts a marriage of convenience with Rosalie to get his family off his back. He also declares undying love to his male cousin. As one would expect, Simon and Rosalie’s marriage is a disaster. They remain poles apart in every imaginable sense, yet their lives are transformed, little by little, in unexpected ways. From the director of NOT EVERYONE IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE HAD COMMUNIST PARENTS (1996 SFJFF Opening Night Film).

"It's difficult to remember the hope once held by French Communists." Commented Director Jean-Jacques Zilbermann in response to audience questions after the Opening Night Castro Theatre screening. "It is possible today for us to laugh at the characters of the film. For me, the voices of the Red Army band were a translation of enthusiasm and hope. In my house as a child, it was played all the time, it was terrible. Today the Red Army band still sings but hope is no longer in their voices." "My father died 11 years ago, he never had a chance to see the film. When I told my mother I was going to make a film about her life she was very afraid and wanted to read the script which I refused. She had good reason to be afraid. She was so nervous before she first saw the film she took a sedative and slept through most of it. Later on after she was interviewed on radio and TV and she liked it. She was moved by the film and found my father again in the film. I too finally learned who my father was when making the film." Jean-Jacques runs the Max Linder theatre in Paris and is already hard at work on his second feature.