In 2000, Cate Blanchett starred in the film The Man Who Cried, written and directed by Sally Potter, and co-starring Christina Ricci, Johnny Depp, Harry Dean Stanton, John Turturro, and Blanchett herself.
The film tells the story of Fegele Abramovich (Christina Ricci), a Russian Jewish woman who is separated from her father as a child.
Fegele’s journey takes her from Soviet Russia to England and then to Paris, where she meets an older Russian ballerina named Lola (Cate Blanchett), and they share an apartment as friends.
Lola (Cate Blanchett) seduces Dante (John Turturro), an Italian opera singer. Although a supporting role, Blanchett’s character provides support to Ricci during her search for her father, her romance with Depp, and as she faces the dangers that arise when World War II breaks out and Nazism rises, putting her at risk due to her Jewish heritage.
While trying to escape, the ocean liner on which Suzie and Lola are attempting to flee is torpedoed, and Lola dies in the shipwreck. Suzie is among the survivors rescued and taken to New York.
Suzie searches for her father and discovers that he changed his name, stopped singing, and moved west after learning of the attack on his hometown, which he assumed killed all his family members.