The Class 'aka Entre Les Murs' (2009)
Directed by Laurent Cantent
Starring Francois Begaudeau
One of my favorite films of the year. This film is as close to being a documentary as a narrative can get, the line truly is blurred.
A real schoolteacher and novelist 'Begaudeau' plays a version of himself in an urban inner city French high-school. The schoolchildren are all real, non actors and the script was written from improv workshops with the children and Begaudeau. The result is a fly on the wall look inside a modern classroom in France, its a gripping modern portrait of the challenges facing most kids. There is no real plot, just a path of conflict resolution that demonstrates even the most patient and respectful teachers have a breaking point. We are all human, students too. The teacher is no saint and he makes mistakes struggling with the demanding challenges of teaching an aggressive unrelenting group of intelligent teens.
It's a smart and well written film that makes me think how lucky the French are to have a scholastic system of such excellence with teachers who work together and care about each individual student. Its avail on DVD and is a must see.
No comments:
Post a Comment