Story of Annette Zelman

North American Premiere

The nostalgic aura of old-fashioned wartime romances envelopes this engaging and handsomely produced drama set in Nazi-occupied Paris that for the first time brings to light the tragic love story of Annette Zelman and Jean Jausion, whose affair was denounced to the Gestapo. It all started like any youthful, carefree courtship. While students at a French art school, Annette Zelman caught the eye of Jean Jausion. They quickly fell in love and fate seemed to be smiling on them. But the young man’s father could not tolerate the idea of their romance and unbeknownst to Jean, reported Annette’s Jewish identity to the Gestapo. Soon after, she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz, and Jean was driven to despair by her disappearance and his father’s responsibility. A quintessential statement on love and romance during wartime, this riveting drama presents a story of extraordinary quality based on actual events recounted in the book Dénoncer les Juifs sous l'Occupation (Informing on Jews during the Occupation) by Laurent Joly.