Madame Rosa (1977)

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.
Tony Aboyantz, Moshé Mizrahi, Ariane Litaize, Emmanuel Fonlladosa
Simone Signoret, Michal Bat-Adam, Samy Ben-Youb, Gabriel Jabbour, Geneviève Fontanel, Bernard Lajarrige, Mohamed Zinet, Elio Bencoil, Stella Annicette, El Kebim, Costa-Gavras, Renata Flores, Elisabeth Margoni, Claude Dauphin, Théo Légitimus
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