Michou d'Auber

2007 2h 4m FR

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 80

DramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Set in France during the struggle for Algerian independence, Messaoud's mother is terminally ill and his father, needing to work long hours in the factory, can't look after him, so decides to put him and his older brother Abdel in foster care. Sent to the countryside, Abdel has to work on a farm, but Messaoud is taken in by a childless woman, who conceals his Arab origins from her fiercely Gaullist ex-army husband. Re-named Michel/Michou, and with his hair comically dyed blond, the young boy quickly steals the hearts of both foster-parents, and eventually is instrumental in saving their troubled marriage.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Gérard Depardieu
Georges
Nathalie Baye
Gisèle
Mathieu Amalric
Jacques
Samy Seghir
Messaoud / Michou
Catherine Hiegel
la directrice de l'orphelinat
Philippe Nahon
le cafetier
Bernard Yerlès
le copain de Georges
Gérald Laroche
Robert

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Thomas Gilou
Writers: Jean Cosmos, Thomas Gilou, Massoud Hattou
Languages: Arabic, French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 19 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Arabic, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Thomas Gilou, shot by Robert Alazraki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Alexandre Desplat. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Francine Sandberg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Gérard Depardieu and Nathalie Baye and Mathieu Amalric carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0478705 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 80 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Thomas Gilou directs. Robert Alazraki behind the camera. Alexandre Desplat scores. Francine Sandberg cuts. Produced in France. Dialogue in Arabic, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 19 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Arabic, French.
3Directed by Thomas Gilou, shot by Robert Alazraki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Alexandre Desplat. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Francine Sandberg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Gérard Depardieu and Nathalie Baye and Mathieu Amalric carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0478705 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 80 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.