An allegory of the Golem, a Jewish mythical creature personifying displacement and exile, this film tells the story of a woman (similar to the biblical Ruth) and her sisters, who are forced into exile after the death of their husbands. It is set in 1990s Paris, where the director was living in self-imposed exile following the ban on his 1982 documentary in Israel. The recurring theme of the film is migrations and unrooting, like the legendary Golem.

Genres

Cast

Hanna Schygulla

L'Esprit de l'Exil

Vittorio Mezzogiorno

Le Maharal

Samuel Fuller

Elimelek

Mireille Perrier

Ruth

Sotigui Kouyaté

Boaz

Fabienne Babe

Orpa

Bernardo Bertolucci

Le Maître de la Cour

Philippe Garrel

Le Fiancé d'Opra

Marisa Paredes

Le Maîtresse de Cérémonie

Bakary Sangaré

Le Premier Marin

Alain Maratrat

Le Deuxième Marin

Marceline Loridan-Ivens

Le Mère d'Opra