Madame Rosa

Overview

Madame Rosa lives in a sixth-floor walkup in the Pigalle; she's a retired prostitute, Jewish and an Auschwitz survivor, a foster mom to children of other prostitutes. Momo is the oldest and her favorite, an Algerian lad whom she raises as a Muslim. He asks about his parents; she answers evasively. As she ages and takes fewer children, Momo must do more for her; as money is tight, he tries to earn pennies on the street with a puppet. He's a beautiful man-child, and Madame Rosa makes him promise never to sell himself or become a pimp. A film editor, Nadine, befriends him, and his father appears as well. Madame Rosa reaches her last days in fear of hospitals, and Momo must act.

Cast

Simone Signoret

Madame Rosa

Michal Bat-Adam

Nadine

Gabriel Jabbour

M. Hamil

Mohamed Zinet

Kadir Youssef

Costa-Gavras

Le docteur Ramon

Nadia Samir

Samy Ben-Youb

Momo

Bernard Lajarrige

Louis Charmette - un retraité SNCF

Geneviève Fontanel

Maryse

N/A

Renata Flores

Elisabeth Margoni

Claude Dauphin

Le docteur Katz