PERSIAN LESSONS
by Vadim Perelman
Synopsis: Occupied France, 1942. Gilles is arrested by SS soldiers alongside other Jews and sent to a camp in Germany. He narrowly avoids sudden execution by swearing to the guards that he is not Jewish, but Persian.
This lie temporarily saves him, but Gilles gets assigned a life-or-death mission: to teach Farsi to Head of Camp Koch, who dreams of opening a restaurant in Iran once the war is over.
Through an ingenious trick, Gilles manages to survive by inventing words of “Farsi” every day and teaching them to Koch. The particular relationship between the two men sparks the jealousy of other prisoners and SS guards towards Gilles. And while the suspicions of Koch grow every day, Gilles understands that he will not be able to keep his secret very long…
Cast: Nahuel Perez Biscayart, Lars Eidinger.
2020 / Drama / Russia, Germany, Belarus / 127 min / German, French / Completed
Produced by Hype Film (Leto, The Student), LM Media, One Two Films (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki), Belarusfilm
By the director of The Life Before Her Eyes and The House of Sand and Fog (Oscar nomination) / By the cinematographer of Leto, Hostage, The Student / Belarus Oscar’s submission / US release by Cohen Media.
“Persian Lessons looks set to reach wide audiences (…). A big, widescreen cinematic ride which deftly mixes suspense, laughter and tears”
— Screendaily
“Director Vadim Perelman treads a fine line between history and invention in this Holocaust survival tale, whose power comes from its two lead performances”
— Variety
