Le Mozart des pickpockets

Le Mozart des pickpockets (also known as The Mozart of Pickpockets) is a 2006 French short film. Written and directed by Philippe Pollet-Villard, it won the 2007 Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.^[1] It was the only French submission in the category. Two days before, the film also won its national César Award.

Le Mozart des Pickpockets
Film poster
Directed by	Philippe Pollet-Villard
Written by	Philippe Pollet-Villard
Produced by	Antoine Gandaubert Fabrice Goldstein Antoine Rein
Starring	Matteo Razzouki-Safardi Philippe Pollet-Villard
Cinematography	Philippe Piffeteau
Edited by	Cyril Nakache
Release date	14 May 2006 (2006-05-14)
Running time	31 minutes
Country	France
Language	French

Cast

• Matteo Razzouki-Safardi as L'enfant
• Philippe Pollet-Villard as Philippe
• Richard Morgiève as Richard
• Samir Guesmi as Ahmed, le réceptionniste
• Emiliano Suarez as Max
• Jean Sarguera as Pickpocket 1
• Jean Camaccio as Pickpocket 2

Plot

Richard and Philippe live hand to mouth, backing up a gang of Romanian pickpockets on the streets of Paris, posing as policemen who arrest a gang member while the others rifle the pockets and purses of gawkers. When all of the gang except Richard and Philippe are pinched, things look grim.

Then, Richard insists that they take in a wide-eyed immigrant lad, a deaf-mute left behind in the arrests. Philippe suggests a three-person pickpocket trick, using the boy, but when that goes spectacularly badly, they hit rock bottom.