''When the Cat's Away'' () is a 1996 French

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

directed by

Cédric Klapisch Cédric Klapisch ( ; born 4 September 1961) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. Life and career Klapisch was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. He is from a Jewish family; his maternal grandparents were deported to ...

. The movie is set in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and stars Garance Clavel,

Zinedine Soualem Zinedine Soualem (born 17 April 1957) is a French actor. He has appeared in at least five films directed by Cédric Klapisch. Personal life Soualem is Algerian by ancestry, and was at one point married to the actress Hiam Abbass Hiam Abb ...

, Renée Le Calm,

Olivier Py Olivier Py (; born 24 July 1965 in Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes) is a French stage director, actor and writer. Career In 1997, Py became director of the Centre dramatique national d'Orléans. In 2007, he became director of the Théâtre de l'Odéon i ...

Romain Duris Romain Duris (; born 28 May 1974) is a French actor. He is best known for his role in Cédric Klapisch's ''Spanish Apartment'' trilogy, which consists of '' L'Auberge Espagnole'' (2002), '' Russian Dolls'' (2005), and '' Chinese Puzzle'' (2013) ...

Hélène de Fougerolles Hélène Christine Marie Rigoine de Fougerolles (; born 25 February 1973) is a French people, French actress who was twice nominated for the César Award for Most Promising Actress (known as the French Academy Awards, Oscar) for Arthur Joffé's L ...

Hiam Abbass Hiam Abbass (; ; born 30 November 1960), also spelled Hiyam Abbas, is a Palestinian actress and film director with Israeli and French citizenship. She is known for her roles in films such as ''The Syrian Bride'' (2004), '' Paradise Now'' (2005) ...

and others.

Plot

The story is about a young woman living in Paris, in the Bastille neighborhood, who has lost her cat. Through the pursuit of the cat, the film lets the spectator discover the contrasts of the district, which is evolving from a typical Parisian district to a modern and young district and the contrast between its inhabitants, among them a nice simpleton and the old woman who are bored. In fact, it is the story of a village in a large city, Klapisch shows once again the behaviour of an individual inside a group, as he did in '' Le péril jeune'' or '' Riens du tout''. This time he has succeeded in joining together actors, theatre actors, and residents of the district, creating a credible atmosphere that is probably the reason for the success of this film outside France.

Cast

* Garance Clavel as Chloé *

as Djamel * as Madame Renée *

as Michel * Simon Abkarian as Carlos * as le peintre « Bel Canto » *

Marilyne Canto Marilyne Canto (born 18 November 1963) is a French actress and film director. She won the 2007 César Award for Best Short Film for '' Fais de beaux rêves''. Selected filmography References External links * 1963 births Living peop ...

as la femme flic * Andrée Damant as Madame Dubois * as Madame Henriette *

as The drummer *

as a Model * Marine Delterme as a Model * Eriq Ebouaney as The Cabinetmaker worker *

as a Woman

Soundtrack

The main title "Food for Love" was composed and performed by Cqmd."When the Cat's Away (1996) - Soundtracks", IMDb.
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References

External links

* 1996 films 1996 romantic comedy films Films directed by Cédric Klapisch Films set in Paris French comedy films French independent films 1990s French-language films 1990s French films BAC Films films Sony Pictures Classics films {{1990s-France-film-stub