Madame Hofmann by Sébastien Lifshitz: Our opinion and the documentary trailer

Following on from his multi-award-winning Les Invisibles, Adolescentes and Petite Fille, Sébastien Lifshitz signs Madame Hofmann, a new intimate and moving documentary, as only he knows how. Expected in cinemas on April 10, 2024, the documentary filmmaker paints the portrait of Sylvie Hofmann, a nurse who devotes herself to her profession without counting the hours atMarseille's northern hospital.

From the very first seconds of the film, Sylvie's humanity leaps out at us, and we fall in love with and empathize with this everyday heroine with her lilting accent and ever mischievous eyes, even after 40 years of dealing with death in this oncology and palliative care unit.

The film is obviously and eminentlypolitical, (d)enunciating through the discussions of these women in white coats, the lack of means, the lack of personnel, the lack of equipment during the Covid crisis - the documentary was shot at this period - which put "nerves in a tailspin". It's the same no-holds-barred observation as in Etat Limite , released earlier this year, a documentary also directed by a member of the medical profession full of humanity and wisdom, Dr. Jamal Abdel-Kader.

But unlike Nicolas Peduzzi's documentary, Madame Hofmann retains a real sense of good humor, with Sébastien Lifshitz injecting extra soul by following Sylvie outside the hospital. Her daily life is punctuated by regular tête-à-tête with her mother (whose body is ailing, but whose mind is sharper than ever), rejuvenating moments in nature with her other family (who don't work at the hospital), and medical appointments when the caregiver becomes a patient.

A tender and moving documentary, to be released in cinemas on April 10, 2024.

• To be read
• Cinema: discover the documentaries currently showing in cinemas and those to come
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The trailer for Madame Hofmann:

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