Synopsis

During WWII in occupied Poland, Jakob is a prisoner in his ghetto. One day he is called into the Gestapo office and thinks he overhears a news flash announcing that the Russians were invading. Although he tries to keep it to himself, he shares it with a friend who intends an escape as an attempt to discourage him. Word travels fast in the ghetto and the inhabitants start getting excited and hope reigns once again...

Peter Kassovitz, director

"Based on the adaptation of the book by Jurek Becker, we applied vaudeville techniques: a liar is caught in his own game. One might say it is sacrilegious to make a comedy in the ghetto. I think it is important to keep a sense of humor in the face of humanity; humor is the best defense against violence."

"We thought of Robin Williams for the role immediately. The role was made for him. We didn't modify a single line in the scenario. "

"The idea of putting my son Mathieu in the film came after a dinner where he was present with Robin and Marsha. He got on fine with Robin and it happened like that."

"I had hoped to shoot the film in Budapest, because that's where I'm from, but in fact we ended up shooting near Lodz, Poland, in a part of the city that hadn't changed in over 50 years."

Peter Kassovitz left Budapest in 1956 and has worked in filmmaking ever since. Since 1976 he has written and directed thirty feature and television films. He has also written two books.

Robin Williams, Jakob

Born in Chicago, Illinois the son of a Ford Motor executive, Robin Williams went on to study the dramatic arts in New York and on the West Coast. He first gained fame as a television comic and in the 80's landed major film roles: Popeye, The World According to Garp, Moscow on the Hudson and was nominated for three Oscars for his roles in Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society and The Fisher King. In 1997, he obtained an Oscar for his supporting role in Good Will Hunting. He won a Golden Globe Award for his performance in Mrs. Doubtfire. With his wife Marsha Graces, they created Blue Wolf Productions, which notably produced Mrs. Doubtfire. Since the 80's, he teamed with Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg to form "Comic Relief" fundraising events for homeless.