The class
(DVD)

Title from container.

Special features: Making-of featurette; commentary on select scenes.

Screenplay: François Bégaudeau ; directed by Laurent Cantet.

François Bégaudeau, Nassim Amrabt, Laura Baquela, Cherif Bounaïdja Rachedi, Juliette Demaille.

Based on Bégaudeau's autobiographical novel. François and his fellow teachers prepare for a new year at a high school in a tough Paris neighborhood. Armed with the best intentions, they brace themselves to not let discouragement stop them from trying to give the best education to their students. Cultures and attitudes often clash in the classroom, a microcosm of contemporary France. As amusing and inspiring as the teenaged students can be, their difficult behavior can still jeopardize any teacher's enthusiasm for the low-paying job. François insists on an atmosphere of respect and diligence. Neither stuffy nor severe, his extravagant frankness often takes the students by surprise. But his classroom ethics are put to the test when his students begin to challenge his methods.

PG-13. For language.

DVD, anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1), NTSC, region 1, Dolby digital, copy protected.

In French with English subtitles.

Palme d'Or /Best picture, 2008 Cannes Film Festival.