Descended from Jewish restaurant owners in Poland and Austria, SAÜL BIRNBAUM, an attractive man in his fifties, is the owner of a delicatessen in Brussels, “The New Manhattan Deli”.

He remains scarred by a childhood and adolescence that was shattered by antisemitic persecutions following the “Anschluss” of Austria: At the age of 6, he had to be separated from his parents who, in order to save him, put him on a “Kindertransport” from Vienna to Brussels. He was taken in by a Jewish Belgian family and was later hidden by a non-Jewish Belgian woman and owes them his life.

After these traumatising years, the wave of American movies that flooded Europe after the Liberation helped instil an “American Dream” in Saül, which he achieves by opening his deli. The establishment is almost as well-known for its Judeo-Brusselian food specialities, as it is for its celebration of cult cinema.

Through constant renditions, Saül acts or has his customers act out famous film scenes and organises all sorts of events and games around the themes of cinema.

Saül has taken a young Chilean student and exile, who dreams of becoming a director, under his wing. The young man prompts the writing of a script based on Saül’s own history.

While these activities help Saül with battling the demons of his past, they catch up with him whenever he is alone and withdrawn, away from the spotlights of his deli.

Multiplying his romantic conquests like there is no tomorrow, he tries to overcome the feeling of abandonment that has permeated his life since the brutal separation of his mother, and, later, his foster family.

His life is rocked when Hannah, a woman as beautiful as she is inconspicuous, visits his deli. They share the same passion for cinema and discover a common past which, at times, bring them closer, and other times, poisons their relationship.

Saül’s road to resilience, with plenty of back and forth and Hannah as a guiding thread, is paved with cinema, love, and humour.

HANNAH MOSKOWICZ is a projectionist in an arthouse cinema in Brussels. She adores her work, which allows her to combine a hands-on job with her passion for cinema.

Since her first visit to the New Manhattan Deli, where she was drawn to by a newspaper article on Saül Birnbaum’s invigorating qualities, she spontaneously gives him the rendition of a scene by Ingrid Bergman in “Casablanca”.

Hannah, an escapee from Auschwitz, is plagued by the memories of her childhood, which she loathes to remember. She avoids Saül again and again. Still, she loves him and he loves her, but then she disappears, comes back and abandons him again.

Tormented by her past, Hannah must decide whether she wants to reveal her secret to Saül or not.

EDWARD KIEV, called “Ed”, is a man of sound judgment, with two feet on the ground, and who makes sure the New Manhattan Deli runs smoothly. He started out as a kitchen help at the Viennese restaurant of Saül’s grandfather. He knew Saül when he was still a child.

He too was lucky to have survived the antisemitic persecutions, though not without losing his parents, who were deported to the concentration camps in Auschwitz. After the war, he found refuge in Belgium and when Saül opened his Deli, he joined him and has since been a source of wisdom and support.

Always on alert, Ed is a sensible man with a big heart that he tries to mask with his stubborn and grouchy demeanour. His loyalty towards Saül is unwavering and he tries to shield him as best he can from the hazards of life. Just like his friend, Ed avoids solidifying a permanent relationship with a woman because he is too afraid of being abandoned. But his connection with Joakin’s mother Beatriz, will, step by step, allow him to come out of his shell and put him on the path of resilience and happiness.

ROBERT DE TRÉVIGNAC, called “Trévignac”, is a French film journalist who works in Brussels as a correspondent for foreign publications (Variety, Le Film français…). He spends the difficult ends of the month with review jobs and rewriting scripts.

A regular at the New Manhattan Deli, he likes the restaurant’s atmosphere and, most importantly, uses his cultivated knowledge on film culture to win Saül’s organised quizzes on the 7th art, to the great chagrin of the other customers. He agrees to get involved with the writing and promotion of Saül’s and Joakin’s film.

Trévignac is a man who is passionate about his work and develops a fondness for Joakin. He is none too keen on Saül’s tendency to interfere with the writing decisions and Joakin’s directing, and he pushes the latter to make his own choices instead.

Now in his twenties, this young Chilean arrived in Brussels when he was 10, accompanied by his mother who was forced to flee her country after Pinochet’s coup during which her husband was assassinated. Hired as a server at the New Manhattan Deli, JOAKIN ROJAS became attached to Saül, who instilled his passion for cinema in him. The young man even undertook studies at the INSAS (Institut Supérieur des Arts in Brussels), financed by his patron, who pushes him to write and direct a film based on Saül’s past.

The writing and realisation of this film will gradually emancipate Joakin from Saül’s influence, leading to conflict between the protégé and his mentor. Having grown through this experience, the young filmmaker will, nevertheless, encourage Saül to overcome his own fears.

Joakin’s mother, BEATRIZ ROJAS, works as a cleaning lady at the New Manhattan Deli. She is a gracious woman, fierce, dynamic and always smiling. Her teasing playfulness ensnares the stern Ed. Her wisdom and practical mindset impress Saül towards whom she feels profound gratitude for the beneficial influence he has on Joakin.

The radiating personality from Chile will play an increasingly important role that lies at the heart of the Deli.

JUDITH ASKELEVICZ, a bubbly 75-year-old woman, is a regular at the New Manhattan Deli. Here she can experience the flavours of her childhood and savour the nostalgia of the Yiddishland that has faded away.

She likes to think of herself as a fish in water in the field of cinema because her son “is a great actor.” She is a classic “Yiddishe Mame”, invasive and overprotective, who has endless admiration for her offspring.

After having studied acting at the Conservatory in Brussels, the son of Judith ASKELEVICZ, PIERRE ASLON, pursued a successful career in Paris. At 50 years old, he is a star of cinema, having won both the Cannes and César Award for Best Actor.

Despite his success, Pierre is always worried about tomorrow and tight with his money; under the pressure of his mother, he accepts a role in Joakin’s film and even agrees to produce it, secretly hoping the film will be a commercial flop in order to gain fiscal advantages.

He goes to therapy to try and escape the clutches of an overbearing mother!

SARAH GLÜCKSMANN is a rich, seducing and generous widow who regularly flirts with Saül. In order to seduce him, she regularly tries to demonstrate her erudition in the field of cinema to him. She is a determined and confident woman, ready to eclipse any competition to get what she wants.