UKJFF Special Preview: The Round Up

Dir. Roselyne Bosch / France – Germany – Hungary/ 2010 / 124 mins
Cast: Jean Reno, Gad Elmaleh and Mélanie Laurent

A 2010 box office hit in France, Roselyne Bosch’s star-studded and tense drama throws a powerful light on one of the most disturbing episodes in recent French history.

Based on meticulous research and told through the story of several Jewish families who find themselves taken unawares by the ferocious turn of events, the film portrays the few weeks in July 1942, when more than 13,000 Parisian Jews, including more than 4,000 children, were rounded up and taken to the now notorious Vel’ d’Hiv stadium.

A powerful and gripping treatment of a story ignored until relatively recently, Bosch manages to avoid some of the pitfalls of depicting the Vichy government era and treats the characters with great perception and insight. The prestigious cast includes Jean Reno (The Da Vinci Code) Gad Elmaleh (Comme ton Pére) and Mélanie Laurent (Inglorious Basterds).

A screening in collaboration with the UK Jewish Film Festival.