French movies about education
How we see our education system
A selection by Corinne Hoffert
Note: If you click on any of the images you will be able to read the original text in PDF
The class (entre le murs)
The trailer contains a lot of talking scenes , and thisThe trailer contains a lot of talking scenes , and thismovie is certainly the most talkative movie aboutschool . Everybody tries to defend himself or herself ,to convince the others and to destabilise one anotherwith words.
Awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, EntreAwarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Entreles Murs is a riveting, insightful look at one year at a raciallymixed inner-city high school in Paris. François Marin (playedby François Bégaudeau, a former teacher himself and authorof the novel on which the film is based) hopes to inspire hisstudents but faces mixed success and at times utter failure.Rarely has a movie so realistically portrayed the Frencheducation system. Packed with verbal battles between thestudents and their teacher, Entre les Murs captures thedynamics of an average Parisian classroom today, with itsmultiple cultural backgrounds and shifting balance of power.It’s a fresh, though certainly not idyllic, image of modernFrench young adults as they struggle to cope with culturalnorms.
the Class = entre les murs by Corinne . 2008 Palme d'Or at the Cannes Festivalthe Class = entre les murs by Corinne . 2008 Palme d'Or at the Cannes FestivalThe Class is a semi-autobiographical account of a French language and literatureteacher's experience in a middle school in Paris, particularly illuminating his struggleswith "problem children"First I did not want to see it because it deals with "difficult" schools and I had spent 12years in this kind of schools . But finally , this movie was not a horror movie at all .It relates everyday experiences of most teachers , but with compassion for bothteachers and students.I recommend it to all teachers who are in difficulty so they understand they are notalone , or those who do not understand how difficult it can be to teach in some areas ,and judge their colleagues.Parents should watch it , to have an insight from what is happening in some schools .It show also the failures of the French educational system.
School life (La Vie Scolaire)
La Vie scolaire The trailerLa Vie scolaire The trailerThis trailer highlights the atmosphere you will find in the movie , funnysituations , which are going to make you laugh , but also lots oftenderness and emotion. This movie shows real life situations in aZEP ( Zone d'éducation prioritaire"), no caricature , no judgement ,just a great thank you to all these people who struggle everyday tosave these youngsters and provide them a future .
La Vie scolaireLa Vie scolaireThis movie was directed and written by a famous French slam singerGrand Corps Malade .It shows everyday life in a suburbia school near Paris . A young CPEdiscovers the problems of these areas , poverty , complicated familysituations , drug dealing , school drop out , and the different ways theadults try to fix the situation and fight against them. Without alwaysfinding a solution , but the movie shows that they are doing their best .
Le remplaçant ( The substitute)
2 pilot episodesLe remplaçant ( The substitute) 2 pilot episodesA new French series starring Joey Starr , our nationalbad boy , as a substitute teacher in a French lycée. Asin most series the teacher is atypical , with a differentrelationship with his students . But he is also the proofthat a former bad boy can become a committedteacher. I loved these two first episodes and I hopethey will go on with the series even if the teachers andstudents are a bit caricatural . Here again ,relationships are more important than teaching . But itis interesting to see how this teacher tries to motivatehis students to read and appreciate literature.
La faute à Rousseau
(series)La faute à Rousseau (series)This French series is a remake from a Spanish series entitled Philo .It deals with the relationship of a philosophy teacher and his class( and hisson who is his student) . Each episode highlights another philosophical topicsuch as duty , love , honour, etc.. that's whyI highly recommend this series to terminales students in order to preparetheir philosophy exam.I liked it also because it is fresh, funny and even if it not always realistic, itsinsight in the role of a teacher in the building of their students' personalities isquite interesting and motivating. The teacher has a very original pedagogy ,and it must admit , that even if his ideas seem a bit crazy sometimes, ( suchas sending them to the café to get answers) , some of them are original andinnovative.
