The novel 'Blooms of Darkness' by Israeli writer Aharon Appelfeld was long considered unfilmable since the boy hiding in a cupboard has to rely almost entirely on his sense of hearing to understand what is happening around him. For director and screenwriter Emmanuel Finkiel, the greatest challenge lay in finding imagery that could lift the film beyond strict realism. Hugo often retreats into daydreams and memories, adding an additional, visually heightened layer to the film. Finkiel depicts the destruction of the Jews of Czernowitz by the Germans and their Ukrainian collaborators with a mixture of restraint and stark, harrowing imagery. At the same time, he thematises the boy’s emerging sexuality: Hugo is, naturally, aware of what is happening in the brothel with Mariana, and he begins to react with growing jealousy.
Alongside the excellent cinematography of Alexis Kavyrchine, a long-term collaborator with Cédric Klapisch (Colours of Time), it is above all French actress Mélanie Thierry who stands out as Mariana. In preparation for her role, she spent two years learning Ukrainian and was, in 2026, deservedly nominated for a César Award for Best Actress for her intense, haunting, and complex portrayal.
Text: Jörg Taszman