Win a pair of FREE Seatings - ENTRE LES MURS

Win two free seatings to see the 2008 Palme d’Or winning film, Entre les murs (The Class) at the NFB Mediatheque!

“An artful, intelligent movie about modern French identity” – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times

“One of the screen’s most rewarding explorations of the teacher/student relationship in any language” – Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

NNNNN (highest possible rating) – Norman Wilner, NOW Magazine

On Thursday May 6th, as part of its ongoing Ciné-Jeudi screening series, the NFB Mediatheque presents Laurent Cantet’s critically-acclaimed film Entre les murs (The Class), preceded by the short animated film Train en folie (Runaway), by award-winning director Cordell Barker.  The screening takes place at 7:30PM at the NFB Mediatheque (150 John St, at Richmond St W.).

To win a pair of tickets to see these films, email your name, phone number and email address to:
gilbert.seah@sympatico.ca

(contest closes May 3rd)

ENTRE LES MURS (THE CLASS) (France 2008) ***** Top 10
Directed by Laurent Cantet

Winner of the 2008 Palme d’Or at Cannes, ENTRE LES MURS (THE CLASS) lives up to its reputation for being the first French film in 21 years to win the prestigious prize.  Director Laurent Cantet (TIME OUT) blends a documentary style into real life realistic drama that takes place in a tough Paris high school.

The action takes place in the course of a school year.  As the film begins, the viewer sees various teachers (most of whom have positive attitudes) enter the school premises.  During the introductory staff meeting, the teachers are revealed as decent human beings, with high hopes as well as shortcomings.  As they face their classes, the audience is slowly drawn into the drama that ensues.

Cantet and writer Francois Begaudeau (an actual teacher and author whose book the film is based) concentrates the action in his class.  (Francois stars as himself in the film playing the role of the English teacher.) Most of the scenes are long acts that take place either in the class or a staff meeting.  What draws the audience to the drama is the fact that what takes place on screen is down to earth problems that deal with today’s youth.  One diligent Asian student is ridiculed by his classmates for being behind in his French while most argue the relevance of the use of the ‘subjontif’ in French grammar.  A rebellious African student is shown in a different light when his mother (who is unable to speak a word of French) is brought in to see the disciplinary committee.  The French taught by Francois in the class is also interesting for myself who have learnt the language for 3 years and have been given a revision lesson. 

As with Cantet’s previous films TIME OUT and HUMAN RESOURCES, he proves his mettle with films dealing with human drama.  He draws the viewer quickly into the action aided by Francois Begaudeau’s acting.  Despite the documentary style, ENTRE LES MURS is full of spirit and mostly life.  And Cantet and Begaudeau show the triumph of the human spirit in an everyday setting besieged by problems caused by race and diversity.  This is a gem of a film that deserves the grand prize it won at Cannes.