Sarah's Key (2010) Elle s'appelait Sarah (original title)

Director:

Gilles Paquet-Brenner

Writers:

Gilles Paquet-Brenner (screenplay)
Serge Joncour (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

22 July 2011 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

Uncover the mystery

Plot:

In modern-day Paris, a journalist finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl whose family was torn apart during the notorious Vel' d'Hiv Roundup in 1942.

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Journalist | Roundup | Jewish Family | Key

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Julia Jarmond
Mélusine Mayance	...	Sarah
Niels Arestrup	...	Jules Dufaure
Frédéric Pierrot	...	Bertrand Tezac
Michel Duchaussoy	...	Édouard Tezac
Dominique Frot	...	Geneviève Dufaure
Natasha Mashkevich	...	Mme Starzynski
Gisèle Casadesus	...	Mamé
Aidan Quinn	...	William Rainsferd
Sarah Ber	...	Rachel
Arben Bajraktaraj	...	M. Starzynski
Karina Hin	...	Zoé
James Gerard	...	Mike Bambers
Joseph Rezwin	...	Joshua (as Joe Rezwin)
Kate Moran	...	Alexandra
Paul Mercier	...	Michel Starzynski
Alexandre Le Provost	...	Policier en civil
Serpentine Teyssier	...	Gardienne immeuble
Simon Eine	...	Franck Levy
Julie Fournier	...	Femme brune Vel d'Hiv
Paige Jennifer Barr	...	Ornella Harris (as Paige Barr)
Joanna Merlin	...	Mme Rainsferd
George Birt	...	Richard Rainsferd
Vinciane Millereau	...	Nathalie Dufaure
Sylviane Fraval	...	Bertrand’s Mother
Dan Herzberg	...	Le gendarme rouquin
Nancy Tate	...	Alice
Frederick Guillaud	...	Richard Rainsferd jeune (as Frédérick Guillaud)
Maurice Lustyk	...	Homme au violon
Charlotte Poutrel	...	Sarah adulte
Maxim Driesen	...	Edouard Tezac enfant
Xavier Beja	...	André Tezac
Jacqueline Noëlle	...	Vieille femme
Jean-Pierre Hutinet	...	Le médecin ferme
Jonathan Kerr	...	Officier de police camp
Matthias Kreß	...	Officier allemand ferme (as Matthias Kress)
Franck Beckmann	...	Officier allemand train
Nicolas Seconda	...	Gendarme 1 Vel d'Hiv
François D'Aubigny	...	Gendarme 2 Vel d'Hiv
Stéphane Charond	...	Gendarme 1 camp
José Fumanal	...	Gendarme 2 camp
Gilles Louzon	...	Gendarme 3 camp
Pierre Nahori	...	Policier train
Sophie Piccioto	...	Voix 1 (as Sophie Bacry Picciotto)
Christian Vurpillot	...	Voix 2 (as Christian Vurpillat)
Rosa Herzberg	...	Voix 3 femme
Robert Potsztein	...	Voix 4 homme (as Robert Rotsztein)
Yasmine Ghazarian	...	Une femme camp
Naëva Lissonnet	...	Fillette camp
Céline Caussimon	...	Infirmière vel d'hiv
Claudine Acs	...	Femme hystérique Vel d'Hiv
Viktoria Li	...	Infirmière clinique
Loïc Risser	...	Infirmier
Franck Chilly	...	Brancardier (as Franck Chailly)
Marco Florio	...	Serveur italien
Alice St. Clair	...	Serveuse café Mozart (as Alice Erskine)
Stéphanie Gesnel	...	Jeune femme á la fenétre
Gérard Couchet	...	Vieil homme á la fenétre
Mark Fairchild	...	Bob Rainsferd
Melinda Wade	...	Jeune femme blonde américaine
Kiley Liddell	...	Sarah bébé
Brooke Liddell	...	Sarah Bébé
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jacques Chirac	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tatiana De Rosnay	...	Client in restaurant (uncredited)
Anoushka Ravanshad	...	Italian woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Gilles Paquet-Brenner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tatiana De Rosnay		novel
Serge Joncour		screenplay
Gilles Paquet-Brenner		screenplay

Produced by
Stéphane Marsil	....	producer
Gaetan Rousseau	....	executive producer
Clément Sentilhes	....	line producer

Original Music by
Max Richter

Cinematography by
Pascal Ridao		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Hervé Schneid

Casting by
Gwendale Schmitz
Lina Todd

Production Design by
Françoise Dupertuis

Costume Design by
Eric Perron

Makeup Department
Veronique Bosle	....	key hair stylist
Stéphane Desmarez	....	key hair stylist
Alexandra Hannoun	....	additional makeup artist
Valérie Mendiondo	....	coiffeur
Christophe Oliveira	....	makeup artist
Gill Robillard	....	key makeup artist
Nelly Robin	....	makeup artist
Linda Schwach	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lionel Closson	....	production manager
Jacquot Clotilde	....	assistant unit manager
Noemie Commissaire	....	assistant unit manager
Matthieu Constans	....	assistant unit manager
Christophe Demigne	....	additional assistant unit manager
Benjamin Dewaele	....	unit manager
Gary Giudice	....	unit production manager: New York
Marie-Line Lafont	....	post-production supervisor
Marta Garcia Larriu	....	additional assistant unit manager
David Paté	....	additional assistant unit manager
Clément Sentilhes	....	production manager
Arthur Tabuteau	....	assistant production manager
Antoine Théron	....	production manager
Charles Zemer	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mallorie Ballestra-Duquesnoy	....	third assistant director
Jolian Blevins	....	second assistant director: New York
Rémi Bouvier	....	third assistant director: Renforts
Olivier Coutard	....	first assistant director
Thomas Ghitti	....	third assistant director: Renforts
Anne Gilles	....	second assistant director
Aurore Lance	....	assistant director
Stanislas Marsil	....	third assistant director
Muriel Monnard	....	third assistant director
Julie Navarre	....	third assistant director: Renforts
Yann Sobezynski	....	first assistant director: New York
Nicolas Tretiakow	....	third assistant director: Renforts
Cedric Vara	....	second second assistant director
Haruyo Yokota	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Emmanuelle Hoessly	....	assistant property master
Pauline Lefevere	....	assistant art director
Emmanuel Maintigneux	....	set designer
Kris Major	....	property master
Thomas Morange	....	painter

Sound Department
Lucas Albert	....	boom operator
Didier Codoul	....	sound operator
Fabien Devillers	....	adr recordist
Fabien Devillers	....	dialogue editor
Fabien Devillers	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Donnelly	....	sound mixer (new york)
Florian Fabre	....	foley artist
Alexandre Fleurant	....	supervising sound editor
Sebastien Marquilly	....	foley recordist
Sebastien Marquilly	....	sound designer
Sebastien Marquilly	....	sound editor
Rafael Ridao	....	boom operator
Piste Rouge	....	sound: studio
Bruno Seznec	....	sound studio manager
Bruno Seznec	....	sound supervisor

Visual Effects by
Rodolphe Chabrier	....	visual effects supervisor
Rodolphe Chabrier	....	visual effects
Gaston Marcotti	....	digital compositor
Guillaume Schmitter	....	I/O management: Mac Guff
Antonin Seydoux	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Sybille Blouin	....	stunts
Rémi Canaple	....	stunt coordinator
David Grolleau	....	stunts
Cyrille Hertel	....	stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Matthieu Agius	....	second assistant camera
Christophe Bassoulet	....	electrician
Simon Blanchard	....	additional first assistant camera
Julien Bonet	....	still photographer
Julien Bureau	....	first assistant camera
David Chambille	....	second assistant camera
Christian Flores	....	second assistant camera: New York
Jean-Yves Freess	....	key grip
Remy Freess	....	grip
Yannick Freess	....	grip
Bruno Glasberg	....	electrician
David Granito	....	grip
Cédric Guerby	....	electrician
Adrien Guillaume	....	assistant camera
Ben Katz	....	assistant camera
Andy Kromphardt	....	assistant camera: New York unit
Vincent Plaidy	....	camera operator
Tarik Rebeihi	....	first assistant camera
Samuel Renollet	....	first assistant camera
George Tur	....	first assistant camera: New York unit
Charlotte Vitroly	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Byron Beane	....	casting assistant
Bastien Beltrami	....	extras casting
Aurore Lance	....	casting assistant
Camille Lecat	....	extras casting
Vanessa Moy	....	casting assistant
Rita Powers	....	new york extras casting
Céline Touraine	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nathalie Chesnais	....	costume supervisor
Sarah Cuno	....	assistant costume designer: New York
Marie Morel	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Anne-Sophie Bion	....	assistant editor
Romaric Nereau	....	second assistant editor
Mark Reaser	....	hd mastering
Anita Roth	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Falko Duczmal	....	scoring protools engineer
Dave Foster	....	music preparation
Dave Foster	....	orchestrator
Richard Glasser	....	soundtrack album producer
Michael Schubert	....	score recorded and mixed by
Stefan Karrer	....	soundtrack album producer (uncredited)

Other crew
Marieta Blaskova	....	production accountant
Tanya Blumstein	....	dialect coach: Kristen Scott Thomas
Scott Bredengerd	....	production assistant: New York
Marion Cecinas	....	production assistant
Christophe Chauveau	....	location scout
Corinne Devaux	....	choreographer
Brian James Fitzpatrick	....	production assistant: new york
Scott Friedman	....	production assistant: New York
Conor Griff	....	key production assistant: New York
Karim Hussain	....	english script translation
Cathy Kerbrat	....	production assistant
Michèle Massé	....	location scout
Nathalie Nouaili	....	location scout (2010)
Manuel Pouet	....	location scout
Claire Skowronek	....	production assistant: first team: new york
Erin Sweeney	....	production assistant: new york
Alain Vilain	....	travelling car
Louis Zuppardi	....	location manager: New York (uncredited)

Thanks
Ernst Brenner	....	in memory of
Ludwig Brenner	....	in memory of
Moritz Brenner	....	in memory of

Production Companies

• Hugo Productions
• Studio 37 (co-production)
• TF1 Droits Audiovisuels (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• TPS Star (participation)
• France Télévision (participation)
• Région Ile-de-France (support)
• A Plus Image (in association with)

Distributors

• AZ Films (2011) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Camino Filmverleih (2011) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2012) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Lucky Red (2012) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2010) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Savor (2010) (Spain) (theatrical)
• StudioCanal (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• UGC Distribution (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• EuroVideo (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Madman Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (all media)
• StudioCanal (2011) (UK) (DVD)
• StudioCanal (2011) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Video Film Express (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Mac Guff Ligne (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Cinésyl  grip and lighting equipment
• De Lane Lea  ADR recording
• Milan Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Elle s'appelait Sarah" - France (original title)
"Her Name was Sarah" - International (English title) (informal literal title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic material including disturbing situations involving the Holocaust

Runtime:

France:111 min | USA:111 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English | Italian | German | Yiddish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #46784) | Australia:M | South Korea:12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:NC-16 | Japan:G | UK:12 | Ireland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Rue Nélaton, Paris, France

Company:

Hugo Productions

Trivia:

Was the most successful French movie in the Netherlands, due to the popularity of the book on which the film is based, until The Intouchables (2011) took the record.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the restaurant scene at the end, the Quinn character is seen with his hand over his face. Cut to the child standing in front of glass which reflects Quinn looking straight ahead. Cut back to Quinn with his hand over his face.

Quotes:

Julia Jarmond:And so I write this for you, My Sarah. With the hope that one day, when you're old enough, this story that lives with me, will live with you as well. When a story is told, it is not forgotten. It becomes something else, a memory of who we were; the hope of what we can become.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "De wereld draait door: Episode #6.38" (2010)

A young girl's desperation to rescue her brother amid the horrors of the holocaust

Films about the holocaust are always grim, but the French production Sarah's Key adds a couple of twists that increase the stress.

The story begins in Paris in the summer of 1942 when the collaborationist Vichy government of France launches a round up of Jewish families. And here is the first cruel twist. It's not German troops breaking down doors, it is the Parisian police force, ever polite in its brutality. The second twist is more harrowing. Hearing the crashing on the front door, 10-year-old Sarah Starzynski (Mélusine Mayance) stuffs her younger brother into a secret closet (camouflaged as part of the bedroom wall) and locks the door.

Sarah and her parents are herded with thousands of other Jews into the Vélodrome d'Hiver, an indoor cycling arena, and left there without food, water or toilets. Here, Sarah's overarching struggle begins. She must rescue her brother.

From here on, Sarah's story is inter-cut with episodes from the present day when French-American investigative journalist Julia Jarmond (Kristin Scott Thomas) and her architect husband start to renovate the apartment once occupied by the Starzynski family. Learning of the sad history of the "Vél d'Hiv", Julia starts digging into the apartment's history and tracing the fates of Sarah and her family.

The first two thirds of the film focus on Sarah's struggle. Separated from her parents, she seeks to escape from an internment camp and get back to Pari. As we follow her, we also watch as Julia discovers that, while both the adult Starzynskis died during the war, there is no record of what happened to Sarah and her brother.

And here is the dramatic oddity of Sarah's Key. The culmination of Sarah's quest occurs at about the 75-minute mark of this 111-minute film. The half-hour coda is necessary to tie up loose ends such as the fate of Julia's troubled marriage and the joys and disappointments of her search for Sarah. But the tension that carries the first two acts is lost.

Despite that loss, Sarah's Key packs an emotional wallop that will stay with you after you leave the theatre.

So its weak reception in the United States (it grossed just over $100,000 on just five screens when it opened there) is dispiriting. Perhaps the U.S. fear of subtitles is to blame: a good two-thirds of the film is in French with English subtitles. In fact, I suspect that writer-director Gilles Paquet-Brenner could have made the entire film in French, and that making Julia bilingual was his attempt to lure an American audience.