Mariana’s Room

La chambre de Mariana

Based on Aharon Appelfeld’s masterpiece, “Blooms of Darkness”, this is the story of eleven year old Hugo and Mariana.

In the darkest days of the Second World War, Yulia and Hugo, a Jewish mother and son, escape from a Ukrainian ghetto. Fearing for his safety, Yulia entrusts her eleven year old boy to the care of her friend Mariana who lives in a brothel. Hugo is placed in a cramped closet for over a year. Rarely leaving and with little view of the outside world, Hugo conjures up ghosts and scenarios. As the war rages on outside the bordello, Hugo risks capture under the noses of its Nazi patrons. Hugo and Mariana form a complex bond of love, loyalty and devotion. 

SPONSORED BY:
Barbara Small and Leonard Schein

Festivals and Awards

• Nominee: Best Actress (Mélanie Thierry), César Awards, France, 2026
• Nominee: Best Actress (Mélanie Thierry), Lumiere Awards, France, 2026