Promise at Dawn, clip courtesy UKJFF
Charlotte Gainsbourg shines in Promise at Dawn, the closing night film in this year’s UK Jewish Film Festival. Judith Schrut previews.
The classic, if stereotyped, relationship of the devoted but overbearing Jewish mother and her son forms the subject of UKJFF 2018’s powerful closing film, Promise at Dawn ((La promesse de l’Aube). Starring legendary French superstar Charlotte Gainsbourg and rising star Pierre Niney, it is at once funny and tragic, heartwarming and heartbreaking.
The movie is based on the autobiographical novel of Romain Gary, born Roman Kacev, in Vilnius, Poland. Gary was a 20th century giant of French literature, popular, prolific and two time winner of the coveted Prix Goncourt, although not so well known in the English-speaking world as he perhaps ought to be. He was raised in Poland and then France by a strong single mother who clearly had her own frustrated dreams. The film tells the story of their extraordinary lives and especially their loving but uncomfortable relationship.
As an aside, I was fascinated to learn that in addition to his literary fame, Romain Gary was a daring and highly decorated World War II pilot, a French political diplomat, moved to Hollywood and became a successful director and screenwriter (including penning the Longest Day), married glamorous but troubled actress Jean Seberg and died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds in 1980. I spent a lot of time looking but could find almost nothing on the fate of his mother.
1925 passport of Mina Kacev & son Romain Gary, photo credit Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images
“Promise at Dawn” screens on 22 November at Curzon Mayfair, 38 Curzon Street, W1J 7TY, and on 28 November at Duke’s at Komedia, 44–47 Gardner Street, Brighton East Sussex BN1 1UN, as part of the UK Jewish Film Festival 2018. Full info and tickets at the UKJFF Festival website and @UKJewishFilm.
