Long Island Jewish
Film Festival
FAREWELL, MR. HAFFMANN
Starring Daniel Auteuil, Sara
Giraudeau, and Gilles Lelouche
Saturday, April 15th at 7:00 PM
Members $10 | Public $15
Occupied Paris, 1941: all members of the Jewish community
are instructed to come forward and identify themselves to authorities. Jewelry
shop owner Joseph Haffmann (Daniel
Auteuil) arranges for his family to flee the city and offers his employee
François Mercier (Gilles Lellouche)
the chance to take over his store until the conflict subsides. But his own
attempts to escape are thwarted, and Haffmann is forced to seek his assistant’s
protection.
It’s a risky proposition for both men, Mercier’s wife
Blanche (a wonderful Sara Giraudeau)
is skeptical. The agreement turns into a Faustian bargain, one that will
forever change the fate of all. Adapted from an acclaimed play and superbly
directed by Cavayé, Farewell, Mr. Haffmann masterfully guides
the viewer through a world where lives are irrevocably shaped by the
occupation. Rich in moral complexity and empathy, with several twists too good
to spoil, this is grand, big-screen adult entertainment at its finest. (France/Belgium,
2022, 115min., In French with English subtitles | Dir. Fred Cavayé)