The wanderer who knew it all

A film by Michael Grynszpan

“A groundbreaking film about one of the most mysterious man ever”

Record score of 9.3/10 on ImDb

Top rated 9.3/10 on IMDb

THE SHOSHANI RIDDLE

He was one of the greatest geniuses that ever lived; a teacher, a scholar, a mathematician – he had a brilliant mind… and yet he slept on a park bench, had no real home, travelled the world, looked like a bum and ate like a slob. No one knows his real name; he is only known as Mr. Shoshani. He was an eternal nomad, a mad genius, who attracted disciples such as Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel and renowned philosopher Emmanuel Levinas.

He was fluent in 30 languages, knew philosophy, physics, economics, biology, Kabbalah and other disciplines. With no family or friends, wandering homeless in shabby clothes, taking on multiple names and identities, he acquired a mythological status – some claim he was merely a legendary figure. How did he acquire his extensive knowledge? What was his world view? What was his secret?

Mr. Shoshani (or “Monsieur Chouchani” in French) is one of the unsolved riddles of the twentieth century and one of the ten most mysterious men ever. This is his story.

The Shoshani Riddle - L'énigme Chouchani - חידת שושני

Elie Wiesel (credit UN) - Student of Mr. Shoshani
Mister Shoshani - Monsieur Chouchani - מר שושני

“Nobody knew his name, or how old he was. Perhaps he had no name. Perhaps he had no age. He lacked all of those qualities by which a man is defined as belonging to a certain group.”

–Elie Wiesel

 

He spoke 30 languages… He knew physics, mathematics, philosophy, history, kabbalah…

“Some say he was half genius and some say he was half mad.
This is wrong, in fact he was 100% genius and 100% mad.”

– said Manitou about Mr. Shoshani

The filmmaker searching for Mr. Shoshani in Italy (picture Philippe Bellaiche)
Searching for Mr. Shoshani in Paris

“The world is divided into two parts: those who knew Shoshani and those who did not know Shoshani.”

- Professor Shalom Rosenberg

The filmmaker: Michael Grynszpan

Michael Grynszpan and Elie Wiesel (picture Danna Kinsky)

Michael Grynszpan was born and raised in Paris, France, and moved to Israel in 1995 to study film at the Tel Aviv University. He worked as a film editor and reporter for international channels. He set up a production company in 2000. Since then, he has produced and directed many documentary films.
Among them: - "The Forgotten Refugees" - "Descendants of nazis: an infernal heritage" - "Out of the spectrum" - "Toulouse between pink and grey" - "Manitou - the renewed speech".

"The Shoshani Riddle" is his most personal film and the first in which he also appears on screen. It had a big impact in Israel and became a cult movie — it seems that almost everyone in the country saw and talked about it. It also received the award for Best Documentary of the Year from the Israeli Film Critics Association.

"For me, this film went beyond storytelling — it wasn’t just about Mr. Shoshani. It became a spiritual and philosophical quest for meaning."
- Michael Grynszpan

Editor

Roi Ben Ami

Excellent editor of films and TV

Music

Daniel Markovitch

Award winning composer. Composed original music for The Shoshani Riddle.

Animation

David Walz

Great painter and animation artist, created amazing animation parts in this film

Design

Noa Haber

Excellent designer, for the film and its poster

Camera work

Philippe Bellaiche

Director of Photography

Sound Design

Michael Goorevich

Mix and sound design

Colorist

Hector Berrebi

Color and online editing

Emmanuel Levinas - student of Mr. Shoshani
Professor Jacques Goldberg - student of Mr. Shoshani
Michael Grynszpan and Elie Wiesel (picture Danna Kinsky)

0

years of research

0

witnesses interviewed

0

countries visited

+ 0 M

views

Mr. Shoshani: Myth or Reality

Enigmatic, eccentric, and unkempt, the nomad known as Mr. Shoshani or Monsieur Chouchani —among a half-dozen aliases—was a scholar and teacher of extraordinary brilliance. His profound insights into science, the Bible, the Talmud, philosophy, literature, and countless other subjects captivated all who crossed his path, including luminaries like Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel and philosopher Emmanuel Levinas. Yet, the basic facts of Shoshani’s life remained veiled in mystery, rendering the polyglot scholar an enduring enigma.

When people first hear of Mr. Shoshani, they often struggle to believe such a figure could exist. A nameless wanderer who seemed to know everything? It sounds like the stuff of legend, a modern fairy tale, but it is all true.

Explore our blog

Order a screening


Get in touch - CONTACT


If you’d like to order a screening of “The Shoshani Riddle”, please contact us. 

It is also possible to organize an exclusive event for your audience :  a screening of the film followed by a Q&A with the director Michael Grynszpan. He will then  dive into the film’s creation, share behind-the-scenes stories, and unveil secrets about Mr. Shoshani, the heart of this one-of-a-kind story.