Biopic of French politician and Holocaust survivor defies critics

A scene from "Simone, le voyage du siècle" shows Elsa Zylbertsein, one of the two actresses playing Simone Veil, contemplating the Wall of Names at the Shoah Memorial in Paris. The wall lists the 76,000 Jews deported from France duing WW2. © 2020 – MARVELOUS PRODUCTIONS – France 2 CINÉMA – France 3 CINÉMA

A biopic of the late Simone Veil, one of France's most admired public figures, has received some damning reviews, but its success at the box office shows there's an appetite for tales of strong women and dark periods in French history.

In the biopic "Simone, le voyage du siècle" (Simone, a woman of the century) director Olivier Dahan paints the portrait of French politician, women’s rights champion and Holocaust survivor Simone Veil.