The Grand Role

Up until now Maurice Kurtz hasn't really achieved anything particularly remarkable, apart from his love story with his wife, Perla. He and his four friends, Sami, Simon, Elie and Edouard, go way back. Maurice longs for the role that will prove that he wasn't wrong to dream of being an actor. When the famous American director Rudolph Grichenberg arrives in Paris to prepare a Yiddish adaptation of ''The Merchant of Venice,'' the group of friends knock themselves out to get a part. Auditions lead to meetings and Maurice gets closer and closer to being offered the prized role of Shylock. Indeed, he finally lands the part.
When he tells Perla the good news, she's crazy with happiness, but can no longer hide her secret: suffering from an incurable illness, she only has a few months to live. Just then, Maurice's agent calls to say that an American star originally destined to play Shylock has had a change in schedule and that he's now free to play the part. Maurice is out of luck.
Determined to nourish the only source of joy of the woman that he loves with all his heart, Maurice continues to pretend to Perla that he's performing in the production. With the help of his four friends, Maurice concocts his lie of love and to make it credible he sets out to create a show more ambitious than he ever imagined he'd perform. Prisoner of a lie that will have far-reaching consequences, Maurice at last finds the major role of his life.