Ο Μπάρμαν του Ritz

June 1940. The Germans enter Paris. Blackouts and night-time curfews are imposed everywhere except at the luxurious Ritz Hotel. Eager to discover the elegance of the French way of life, the occupiers mingle there with the Parisian elite.

Behind the bar works Frank Meier, the greatest bartender in the world. Adaptation is a matter of survival, and Frank, proving himself to be a skilled diplomat, wins the favor of the German officers, securing not only his own peace but also that of Lysiano, his young apprentice, and the enigmatic and daring Blanche Ozer.

For four years, Gestapo officers share the bar with figures such as Coco Chanel and Sacha Guitry. These men and women—collaborators with the Germans or members of the Resistance, heroes or warmongers—will love one another, betray one another, and perhaps fight for some greater ideal. Most of them, however, are unaware that Frank Meier, an Austrian refugee and World War I veteran, the mastermind behind this strange ballet, is hiding a terrible secret: his Jewish heritage.

Philippe Collin masterfully reconstructs a turbulent era with meticulous historical accuracy. Through the fate of this overlooked man, he becomes the eyes and ears of occupied France, telling the timeless struggle between fear and courage.