The Class (Entre Les Murs), Dir. Laurent Cantet (2008)

Rating: 6/6

François Bégaudeau as teacher François Marin Photo: Artificial Eye/Guardian

This Palme D’Or winning drama The Class  has a premise that on the surface may not be so appealing to some, calling to mind Dangerous Minds. The film ostensibly following a year in the life of  Francois Marin’s  french class and the struggles and breakthroughs he undergoes teaching them.

However, it is a film that has a lot of important things to say about education, class and race and is, whats more,  able to say it in a way that isn’t mawkish or pretentious. Quite a feat.

Isabelle Adjani’s new classroom drama

Reuters have reported that  the beautiful and talented Adjani is starring in classroom drama that will be showing in the Berlin film festival, here’s what they say about it:

“La journee de la jupe” (Skirt Day) deals with the tensions over immigration, education and race that have haunted France since the 2005 riots that blew up in the shadow of the grim tower blocks that ring many French cities.