Convinced that the city exists, he sets off on an incredible adventure, taking with him the Rabbi, his cat, a wise old Arab Sheikh and an eccentric Russian millionaire. Info. The Rabbi's Cat is about a cat who lives with a Rabbi and his daughter in Northern Africa (Algeria). His beautiful daughter Zlabya is becoming a teenager and above all, his parrot-killing cat has just started talking. In Algeria in the 1930s, a cat belonging to a widowed rabbi and his beautiful daughter, Zlabya, eats the family parrot and gains the ability to speak. As the actors performed and invented their characters' personal motion habits, the design team observed closely and drew what they picked up. "[13], On 24 February 2012, The Rabbi’s Cat (Le Chat du rabbin) was named Best Animated Film at the César Awards (France's equivalent of the Oscars). Share. Rich with the colors, textures, and flavors of Algeria's Jewish community, The Rabbi's Cat brings a lost world vibrantly to life-a time and place where Jews and Arabs coexisted-and peoples it with endearing and thoroughly human characters, and one truly unforgettable cat. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Shocked to discover how rude his cat is, the rabbi begins to teach the cat the Torah. Its protagonist, the titular nameless cat, is owned by Rabbi Abraham Sfar and his daughter Zlabya, whom he loves unconditionally. Discover some of our favorites from the wide range of films the Academy chose to honor with a recap of the big winners at the 2021 Oscars. His beautiful daughter Zlabya is becoming a teenager and above all, his parrot-killing cat has just started talking. The Rabbis gorgeous daughter, having no interest in philosophy (and having no work to do) loves this cat as if he were an irritating younger sibling. The preeminent work by one of France’s most celebrated young comic artists, The Rabbi’s Cat tells the wholly unique story of a rabbi, his daughter, and their talking cat — a philosopher brimming with scathing humor and surprising tenderness. The delivery of a box from Russia further complicates things when a painter is discovered inside, more dead than alive. Pantheon $21.95 (142p) ISBN 978-0-375-42281-2. A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S. political involvement. [4], One of the directors' sources of inspiration was American animation from the 1930s and, in particular, from the Fleischer Studios, which Sfar described as characterised by multi-ethnic production crews and for portraying dark aspects of society, in cartoons such as Betty Boop and Popeye. The Rabbi's Cat (French: Le chat du rabbin) is a 2011 French animated film directed by Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux, based on volumes one, two and five of Sfar's comics series with the same title. In Algeria in the 1930s, a cat belonging to a widowed rabbi and his beautiful daughter, Zlabya, eats the family parrot and gains the ability to speak. The Russian reveals that he is a painter who has fled from Soviet Russia. Their ensuing adventure changes both their lives forever. He has come to Africa to search for a hidden city of black Jews deep in the heart of Africa, and convinces the rabbi, his cat, and a former Russian soldier to help him in his search. The Rabbi's Cat France. 8/10. View production, box office, & company info. The rabbi takes his cat and leaves, mad at the cat for making a fool of his master. (91) IMDb 7.2 1 h 30 min 2011 7+. It was pre-bought by Canal+ and CineCinéma and had a budget of 12.5 million euro. The Rabbi's Cat is an utterly unique animated film; one that contains beautiful animation and terrific character design, but also one with in-depth analysis regarding spiritual conventions. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? The production was made in collaboration with TF1 and France 3. It's the ups and downs, the transitions, the frustrations, and the joys of every day. The Rabbi's Cat. Shopping. To help him, his cat commits the sacrilege of invoking the Lord. Use the HTML below. Was this review helpful to you? Vavasseur called The Rabbi's Cat "a pure pleasure" and complimented it for its variation and colourfulness, as well as for how it tackles the subject of a divided society: "Offsprings of Voltaire, Sfar and his cat don't stroke anyone with the hair, but throw as chefs together a broth of cultures with multiple flavours and with nurtured scenery. Autochenille Production was launched in 2007 by Joann Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux and Clément Oubrerie with the aim to make "author-driven, challenging films to appeal to children and adults. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. The Rabbi's Cat What began as a compilation of experiences during the Gorman family's time with the military, from active duty in Hawaii, to the reserves and a reserve deployment, has moved beyond. The cat, who dramatically yearns for a bar mitzvah after the rabbi almost kiddingly takes him away from his daughter, is an amusing Greek chorus to a journey that will take him and the rabbi from multi-ethnic Algiers to Ethiopia, where a stowaway Russian Jew hopes to find the Jerusalem of Africa. It also takes its time, which is refreshing nowadays. The Rabbi's Cat (French: Le chat du rabbin) is a 2011 French animated film directed by Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux,[2] based on volumes one, two and five of Sfar's comics series with the same title. One day a rabbi finds that his talking parrot, who is very noisy, has been eaten by his cat and that the cat has gained the ability to speak in human tongues. "[11], Jacques Mandelbaum wrote a negative review in Le Monde, where he, among other things, criticised the film for having dull gags, lifeless voice acting and a dragging pace: "This general disconcertment is due to the lack of determination in the point of view, which evidently wants to take in everything and fails to grasp the bad. Aton Soumache, Joann Sfar Build Mini-Studio With Magical Society (Exclusive), Film on Kim Kardashian's Paris hotel room robbery, african jews, arab jews, mizrahim, sephardim, maghrebim, jews & muslims. The Rabbi's Cat, set in Algiers during the early part of the 20th century, is based on family stories. Although these works were written at disparate times, an analysis of their representations of Jewish womenŠand how these representations relate to common stereotypes about Jewish womenŠis a valuable study, and one that has not been done before. Exiled artist and poet Mustafa embarks on a journey home with his housekeeper and her daughter; together the trio must evade the authorities who fear that the truth in Mustafa's words will incite rebellion. Based on the best-selling graphic novel by Joann Sfar, The Rabbi’s Cat tells the story of a rabbi and his talking cat – a sharp-tongued feline philosopher brimming with scathing humor and a less than pure love for the rabbi’s voluptuous teenage daughter. 2011. But there's another ... See full summary ». One day, the cat gains the ability to speak (totally not after eating a parrot of course), and then he wants to convert to Judaism so the rabbi will let him spend time with the daughter. It tells the story of a cat, who obtains the ability to speak after swallowing a parrot, and its owner who is a rabbi in 1920s Algeria. Directed by Antoine Delesvaux, Joann Sfar. He eventually regains his ability to speak French, finding he knows many languages and can act as a translator. To generate more personality for the drawn characters in The Rabbi's Cat, some of the scenes were staged in a Parisian suburb loft in the summer of 2008, with props and the cast fully costumed. When the rabbi's cat wins the gift of speech by swallowing a parakeet, he uses it both to tell lies (that he didn't eat the parakeet, for example) and to tell his own story. His former brother took a road for happiness practicing Buddhism while he is always sad and ... See full summary », Loosely following a traditional Passover Seder, events from the Book of Exodus are retold by Moses, Aharon, the Angel of Death, Jesus, and the director's own father. Directed by Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux, “The Rabbi’s Cat” features a cast headed by François Morel as the cat, Maurice Bénichou (the rabbi), and Hafsia Herzi (the rabbi’s daughter Zlabya). Relive the most surprising wins, inspirational speeches, hilarious dance breaks, and more highlights from the 2021 Academy Awards. It was originally published in France by Delcourt as a series of graphic albums. Set in Algeria in the 1930s, a rabbi's cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to Judaism. [7] It competed at the 2011 Annecy International Animated Film Festival, where it won the top award: the Annecy Crystal for best feature. [9] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 74 out of 100 based on nine reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews. The preeminent work by one of France’s most celebrated young comics artists, The Rabbi’s Cat tells the wholly unique story of a rabbi, his daughter, and their talking cat–a philosopher brimming with scathing humor and surprising tenderness. Set in Algeria in the 1920s, a rabbi's cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to Judaism. Set in Algeria in the 1920s, a rabbi's cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to Judaism. Algiers, 1920s. I really enjoyed this film. Rabbi Sfar has more than one problem. The adventures of a talking cat owned by an Algerian rabbi, who innocently blasphemes, wants to be bar mitzvahed, and tags along on a quest to find the black Jews of Africa. He is on a quest for a hidden tribe and its mythical city in Africa. But Sfar had no photos to work from because his family was forced to flee the country. [3] The voice cast includes François Morel, Hafsia Herzi, Maurice Bénichou, Fellag, François Damiens and Jean-Pierre Kalfon. [5], The original soundtrack was composed by Olivier Daviaud, who had composed the music for Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque), and was performed by Enrico Macias and the Amsterdam Klezmer Band. Love stories in Yopougon, a neighborhood of the Ivory Coast capital. "[10], Pierre Vavasseur of Le Parisien gave a top rating of three stars and compared the impression it left to that of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. The Rabbi's Cat is the main character of this comic.He can speak after he ate the parrot of his house. However, the rabbi finds that the cat is very rude and arrogant, so the rabbi teaches him about the Torah, with the cat deciding that — if he is Jewish — then he should receive a bar mitzvah, leading the two to consult with the rabbi's rabbi. English translations of the first five stories have been released by Pantheon Books. "[4] The Rabbi's Cat was the company's first project. The Rabbi's Cat (French title: Le Chat du Rabbin) is a series of comic fantasy comic books created by Joann Sfar. In the end, this plea for tolerance is a moral preaching so annoyingly gentle that it struggles to convince us of its legitimacy. Dirs: Joann Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux. An animated version of the epic Indian tale of Ramayana set to the 1920s jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw. [8], The Rabbi's Cat received positive reviews from critics. (2011). Copy link. Set in Algeria in the 1920s, a rabbi's cat who learns how to speak after swallowing the family parrot expresses his desire to convert to Judaism. When a rabbi’s cat eats a talking parrot, he gains the power of speech, but his first words are a lie, denying his crime. Add the first question. [14], On 3 December 2012, it was announced that the film received two nominations at the 40th Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature.[15]. The cat proceeds to mock and insult the rabbi's strict views, who declares that the cat should be killed for its heresy. Tap to unmute. The Rabbi's Cat is a French comic book by Joann Sfar set largely in 1920s Algiers. Great work.And now my usual Lorem Ipsum to satisfy IMDb's ten line requirement: But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. Between Chagall and The Adventures of Tintin, family chronicle and adventure film, biblical legend and colonial chronicle, historical reconstruction and winks to the contemporary world, the references are superimposed without achieving harmony. But now that he's lied, the rabbi forbids him from talking to his daughter, Zlabya, and vows to educate him in the Torah. With Hafsia Herzi, Mathieu Amalric, François Damiens, Karina Testa. Title: He is on a quest for a hidden tribe and its mythical city in Africa. It is the second film directed by Sfar, after Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque). The Rabbi's Cat has a very quirky story that's not easy to summarize. 90mins. This FAQ is empty. The story takes place in the Jewish community of Algeria during the 1920s. The two eventually reach an agreement where the rabbi will teach the cat all about the Torah and that he might have his bar mitzvah when he is ready. By Lisa Nesselson 2011-06-02T16:02:00+01:00. The rabbi succeeds but the cat can no longer speak. A scrawny cat gains the power of speech and engages his master, a Rabbi, in debates. With Mathieu Amalric, Hafsia Herzi, François Damiens, Wojciech Pszoniak. THE RABBI'S… The rabbi has to teach his cat the rudiments of the Law of Moses! The survival and the struggle of a young mother during the Khmer Rouge revolution, to find her 4-year-old son, torn from his family by the regime. More By and About This Author. Written by The cat loves the rabbi's daughter, Zlabya, and the rabbi is uncomfortable with the talking cat hanging around her: he'd better study the Torah and the Talmud, lest he give her bad ideas. Watch later. The Rabbi's Cat. It won the Prix Jacques Prévert du Scénario for Best Adaptation in 2012. Rabbi Sfar has more than one problem. 10 of 21 people found this review helpful. In a letter, the rabbi finds out that in order to keep his job, he must do a dictation exercise in French. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a rating of 94% based on 16 reviews and an average rating of 7.6/10. Algeria in the 1930s is an intersection of Jewish, Arab and French culture. Algeria in the 1930s is an intersection of Jewish, Arab and French culture. Set in the Jewish community of 1920s Algeria, a rabbi discovers his cat ate his parrot and gained the ability to speak like a human. He is treated once more like an ordinary animal. Anonymous. 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