A cousin of Jean-Pierre Melville, he entered the cinema at seventeen, as a trainee on Le Silence de la mer. Élise ou la vraie vie won him the César for best film; Les Violons du bal told of his own childhood as a Jewish child in hiding under the Occupation. His family stone says nothing of it.
The story
At seventeen Michel Drach was a trainee on a film set. The film was Le Silence de la mer — the first feature by his cousin Jean-Pierre Melville, made in 1947. That is how he came into the cinema.
Élise ou la vraie vie (1970) won him the César for best film. Four years later Les Violons du bal told his own story: the childhood of a Jewish boy hidden under the Occupation, an autobiographical film about the Shoah. He was married to the actress Marie-José Nat, who played the lead in several of his films.
He died in 1990 and lies in Division 7, allée Rachel, in the Vanderheym family grave — his mother's family. His name comes fifth on the stone: nothing there points to the cinema, nor to the César, nor to Les Violons du bal, where he had told the story of the war this family lived through.
The grave
A family grave under the heading “Famille VANDERHEYM-DRACH”, where his name comes fifth: “Jules VANDERHEYM 1869-1927. Mme VANDERHEYM née Mélanie GRUMBACH 1871-1957. Mme Yvonne VANDERHEYM 1897-1966. Michel DRACH 1930-1990. Claudine CHATEL 1920-…” Nothing there indicates the profession, nor the César for Élise ou la vraie vie, nor Les Violons du bal, in which he told of the hidden childhood this family had lived through.
On site, do not miss
The tomb bears the heading “Famille VANDERHEYM-DRACH”. Michel Drach's name comes fifth, after four members of his mother's family. No mention of the cinema or the César.
Visitors' questions
Where is Michel Drach's grave?
In Division 7, allée Rachel, second row, in the Vanderheym-Drach family grave: five names come before his, from the earliest death in 1927 to Yvonne Vanderheym in 1966.
RachelWhat was his connection with Jean-Pierre Melville?
He was his cousin — and his first employer: Drach started as a trainee at seventeen on the shoot of Le Silence de la mer, Melville's first film, in 1947. Melville was the cousin of his mother, born Vanderheym.
Yves BoissetWhat is Les Violons du bal?
His autobiographical film about the Shoah, released in 1974: the story of his own childhood in hiding as a Jewish child under the Occupation. It is the work he is remembered by.
Joseph JoffoWas he honoured for his work?
From his first film: the Prix Louis-Delluc for On n'enterre pas le dimanche, in 1959. Then Cannes, in 1974, where Marie-José Nat — his wife, and the lead in several of his films — took the award for best actress for Les Violons du bal.
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