Madame Rosa
La Vie devant soi
Synopsis
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.
Top Cast
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Simone Signoret
Madame Rosa
Michal Bat-Adam
Nadine
Gabriel Jabbour
M. Hamil
Mohamed Zinet
Kadir Youssef
Costa-Gavras
Le docteur Ramon
Nadia Samir
Samy Ben-Youb
Momo
Bernard Lajarrige
Louis Charmette - un retraité SNCF
Geneviève Fontanel
Maryse
Renata Flores
Elisabeth Margoni
Claude Dauphin
Le docteur Katz
Elio Bencoil
Moïse
Stella Annicette
Madame Lola
El Kebim
Mimoun
Théo Légitimus
Monsieur Boro
Release History & Theatrical Window
March 19, 1978
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Moshé Mizrahi
- Screenplay & Story
- Moshé Mizrahi
- Original Score
- Dabket Loubna, Philippe Sarde
- Original Title
- La Vie devant soi
- Country of Origin
- France
- Spoken Languages
- French
- Runtime
- 1h 45m
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Moshé Mizrahi
Moshé Mizrahi, Romain Gary
Dabket Loubna, Philippe Sarde
Néstor Almendros
Sophie Coussein
Ralph Baum, Jean Bolvary
Department Leadership Roster
Moshé Mizrahi
Director
Néstor Almendros
Director of Photography
Bernard Evein
Production Design
Jacques Fonteray
Costume Design
Moshé Mizrahi
Screenplay
Sophie Coussein
Editor
Jean Bolvary
Producer
Dabket Loubna
Original Music Composer
Philippe Sarde
Original Music Composer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Madame Rosa.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Madame Rosa
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Madame Rosa about?
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.
Who directed Madame Rosa?
Madame Rosa was directed by Moshé Mizrahi.
Who stars in Madame Rosa?
The principal cast of Madame Rosa includes Simone Signoret, Michal Bat-Adam, Gabriel Jabbour, Mohamed Zinet, Costa-Gavras.
When was Madame Rosa released and how long is it?
Madame Rosa was released in 1977 with a total runtime of 1h 45m.
Who composed the musical score for Madame Rosa?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Madame Rosa was composed by Dabket Loubna, Philippe Sarde.
Is Madame Rosa based on a book or true story?
Madame Rosa is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Romain Gary".