Monsieur Ibrahim

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Monsieur Ibrahim ★★★ Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran; Monsieur Ibrahim et les Fleurs du Coran 2003 (R)

Coming-of-age story set in the low-rent district of 1960s Paris. Momo (Boulanger) is a Jewish street youth burdened with a chronically depressed father (Melki) and a mother who deserted him. Sharif excels as Ibrahim, a philosophy-spouting Turkish Muslim shopkeeper who befriends and adopts Momo after his father kills himself. Ibrahim tends to Momo's spiritual development while the local prostitutes and the girl next door teach him about sex and romance. Duperyon creates a lighthearted, sentimental fairytale about tolerance and spirituality. Adapted from writer Schmitt's semi-autobiographical book and play. 94m/ C DVD . FR Omar Sharif, Pierre Boulanger, Gilbert Melki, Lola Naymark, Anne Suarez, Isabelle Renauld, Isabelle Adjani; D: Francois Dupeyron; W: Francois Dupeyron; C: Remy Chevrin.