Madame Sousatzka

SYNOPSIS

Bengali-speaking Sushila Sen, her husband and son, Manek, relocate from India to London, England and begin their lives as immigrants. Tragically, Mr. Sen passes away, leaving Sushila to struggle with everyday living and looking after Manek. She manages to get a job and they are able to survive on her wages. Manek attends school and shows an interest in playing the piano, excelling at it to the extent that his schoolteacher refers him to a piano teacher, Yuline Sousatzka, a Russian immigrant renowned for her teaching skills. Yuline takes over Manek's life, not only teaching him to excel in piano playing but also his life as a whole. Disagreements do arise, as Manek does not want anyone to run his life for him, but nevertheless the training progresses. Then Sushila loses her job due to "not meeting the standards" (an excuse used to openly discriminate against visible minority employees). With no money coming in, Manek is under pressure to use his piano skills to make some money, much to...