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| Poster artwork for the animated film The Rabbi's Cat (Le chat du rabbin). |
Cultured
Cat
by Linh
French director, writer, actor and artist Joann Sfar follows
his first feature film Gainsbourg: An Heroic
Life (Vie héroïque) with the
charming and thought-provoking comedy adventure animated film The Rabbi’s Cat (Le chat du rabbin). The film
is based on his comic book series of the same name and comprises of three
volumes of his comic books and has won a César for Best Animated Feature,
France’s equivalent to the Academy Awards. Sfar and co-director Antoine
Delesvaux has created a film that is accessible to all ages and audiences from
all walks of life, as the adventures of his Russian Blue cat explores race,
religion, art and science.
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FEISTY
FELINE: The Rabbi's Cat (François Morel) attempts to explain to
Rabbi Sfar (Maurice Bénichou) and Zlabya (Hafsia Herzi) how he came to speak in
the film The Rabbi's Cat (Le chat du rabbin). Image: TF1
International.
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The film is set in Algiers in the 1930s and opens with
the voice-over of the Rabbi Sfar’s cat (François Morel) who explains how he was
blessed with the gift of speech after swallowing the family’s pet parrot. Rabbi
Sfar (Maurice Bénichou) is astonished that his long-time companion cat can
speak but his daughter Zlabya (Hafsia Herzi), is bemused and delighted. The
talking cat immediately requests to be converted to Judaism to be like the
Rabbi and suggests he gets a bar mitzvah also.
While considering ways to deal
with his talking cat, the Rabbi receives a large box from Russia that contains
more than just books. Hidden inside is a young Russian Jew (Sava Lolov) who
claims to have escaped the Communists by stowing away inside the box. He is an
artist and is on his way to Africa where he heard there is a hidden tribe of
black Jews in a mythical city. After deciding to embark on the fantastical
adventure, Rabbi Sfar, his talking cat and the young artist are joined by
Rabbi’s Sfar’s friend the Arab Sheikh Mohammed (Mohamed Fellag) and an
eccentric Russian millionaire named Vastenov (Wojciech Pszoniak).
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LITURGICAL
LITERATURE: Rabbi Sfar (Maurice Bénichou) is surprised
his cat (François Morel) can read and wants to convert to Judaism in the film The Rabbi's Cat (Le chat du rabbin). Image: TF1 International.
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Director Sfar contributed to the hand-drawn characters
with the colours and style matching those in his comic books. He aimed to
capture the essence of his comic book characters onscreen and to please his
comic book fans as well as introducing new audiences of the film to his book
series. Although this film was screened only in 2D format in Australia but in
3D in other countries, the overall film is enjoyable and visually effective.
It
is the humour and wit of the Rabbi’s cat that keeps the film interesting; his philosophical
musings that contradict and question his human friends’ outlook on life provide
some food for thought. The Rabbi’s cat at times acts as a bridge between
warring parties, becoming the voice of reason, while at other times plays the
devil’s advocate in raising questions and stirring doubts. In some scenes,
conversations turn into rantings and erupt into violence, while other scenes
show how effective communication can unite different groups and personalities.
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INTERRACIAL
INTIMACY: The Russian artist (Sava Lolov) falls in love with the
African singer (Marguerite Abouet) on his journey to the heart of Africa in the
film The Rabbi's Cat (Le chat du rabbin). Image: TF1
International.
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The Rabbi’s cat demonstrates how to use its eyes and ears
as a filter for the mind and not as a dumping ground for others to impose
various views and opinions. The characters represent various ways of thinking
such as science being a means of understanding the world, art provides meanings
in life and religions give hope to society. The film The Rabbi's Cat, is less preachy about morals and ethics than
expected, and more light-hearted in its approach to the message of tolerance
and acceptance of others and their differences.
The
Rabbi's Cat (Le chat du rabbin). Film Trailer
(courtesy of The UK Jewish Film Festival):
Joann
Sfar’s blog (in French and English):
Directors:
Joann Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux
Writers: Joann
Sfar (comic book and screenplay), Sandrina Jardel (screenplay)
Voice
Cast: François Morel, Maurice Bénichou, Hafsia Herzi, Sava
Lolov, Mohamed Fellag, Wojciech Pszoniak, Alice Houri, Daniel Cohen,
Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Mathieu Amalric, Marguerite Abouet, David Rit, Joann Sfar,
Olivier Broche
Producers:
Joann Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux, Clement Oubrerie
Original
Music Composer: Olivier Daviaud
Cinematographer: Jérôme
Brézillon
Film
Editor: Maryline Monthieux
Languages:
French and Hebrew with English subtitles
Running
Time: 1 hour and 35 minutes
