Tracing the rise and tragic fall of the prominent Camondo family—once known as the "Rothschilds of the East"—this documentary traces their 19th century origins on the Bosphorus to their lavish life in Belle Époque France. Through intimate archival footage, family heirlooms, and visits to the Musée Nissim de Camondo, The Splendours and Miseries of the Camondo Family reveals how this Ottoman‑Jewish dynasty built an extraordinary art collection, while sadly never being able to enjoy the fruits of their labour as their legacy of art donations to France was tragically followed by their persecution and deaths in Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Holocaust.

Ruth Zylberman was born in Paris. She is a writer and a documentary film director. Her films have won numerous awards at international festivals. Her latest filmography credentials include : The Splendor and miseries of the Camondo Family (2024), The Trial, Prague 1952 (2021), 209 rue Saint-Maur, Paris Xe (2017), Dissidents (2009). Her novel, La Direction de l’Absent (2015, Ed. Christian Bourgois) was translated into English as The Department of Missing People (Arcade Publishing), as well as in German and Spanish. She also published 209 rue Saint-Maur, Paris Xe, Autobiographie d’un immeuble (2020, Le Seuil/Arte-Editions) which has been translated in several languages.