An allegory of the Golem, a Jewish mythical creature personifying displacement and exile, this film tells the story of a woman (similar to the biblical Ruth) and her sisters, who are forced into exile after the death of their husbands. It is set in 1990s Paris, where the director was living in self-imposed exile following the ban on his 1982 documentary in Israel. The recurring theme of the film is migrations and unrooting, like the legendary Golem.
Hanna Schygulla
as L'Esprit de l'Exil
Vittorio Mezzogiorno
as Le Maharal
Ophrah Shemesh
as Naomi
Samuel Fuller
as Elimelek
Mireille Perrier
as Ruth
Sotigui Kouyaté
as Boaz
Fabienne Babe
as Orpa
Antonio Carallo
as Kylion
Bernard Levy
as Malhon
Bernardo Bertolucci
as Le Maître de la Cour
Philippe Garrel
as Le Fiancé d'Opra
Marisa Paredes
as Le Maîtresse de Cérémonie
