François and his fellow teachers prepare for a new year at a high school in a tough 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 jeapordize 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...

"At the time, more and more people were speaking about making a "sanctuary" of schools. I wanted to show the opposite : a sounding board, a microcosm of the world, where issues of equality or inequality - in regards to opportunity, work and power, cultural and social integration and exclusion - play out concretely."
Laurent Cantet

Inspired by the best-selling autobiographical novel by François Begaudeau Laurent Cantet's The Class has invoked surges of excitement and garnered the Palme d'Or for the Best Film in 2008 Cannes Film Festival by unanimous decision of the members of the jury.

- Director: Laurent CANTET
- Screenplay: François BEGAUDEAU, Robin CAMPILLO, Laurent CANTET
Sound: Jean-Pierre LAFORCE, Agnès RAVEZ
- Cinematography: Pierre MILON
- Sound: Olivier MAUVEZIN
- Film Editor: Robin CAMPILLO

Production: Haut et Court
Producers: Caroline Benjo, Carole Scotta


with :
François / François Bégaudeau /
Nassim / Nassim Amrabt /
Laura / Laura Baquela /
Cherif / Cherif Bounaïdja Rachedi /
Juliette / Juliette Demaille /
Dalla / Dalla Doucouré /
Arthur / Arthur Fogel /
Damien / Damien Gomes /
Louise / Louise Grinberg /
Qifei / Qifei Huang /
Wei / Wei Huang /
Souleymane / Franck Keïta /
Henriette / Henriette Kasaruhanda /
Lucie / Lucie Landrevie /
Agame / Agame Malembo-Emene /
Rabah / Rabah Naït Oufella /
Carl / Carl Nanor /
Esmeralda / Esmeralda Ouertani /
Burak / Burak Özyilmaz /
Eva / Eva Paradiso /
Khoumba / Rachel Régulier /
Angélica / Angelica Sancio /
Samantha / Samantha Soupirot /
Boubacar / Boubacar Touré /
Justine / Justine Wu /
représentant d'élèves / Atouma Dioumassy /
représentant d'élèves / Nitany Gueyes /
Vincent / Vincent Caire /
Olivier / Olivier Dupeyron /
Patrick / Patrick Dureuil /
Fred / Frédéric Faujas /
Rachel / Dorothée Guilbot /
Cécile / Cécile Lagarde /
Sophie / Anne Langlois /
Yvette / Yvette Mournetas /
Hervé / Vincent Robert (II) /
Anne / Anne Wallimann-Charpentier /
la CPE / Julie Athenol /
le principal / Jean-Michel Simonet (II) /
l'intendant / Olivier Pasquier /
le surveillant / Stéphane Longour /
un surveillant / Abdoul Drahamane Sissoko /
la cantinière / Aline Zimierski /
une femme de ménage / Silma Aktar /
une femme de ménage / Marie-Antoinette Sorrente /
la mère de Souleymane / Fatoumata Kanté /
le frère de Souleymane / Cheick Baba Doumbia /
le père de Nassim / Khalid Amrabt /
la mère d'Arthur / Adeline Fogel /
la mère de Wei / Lingfen Huang /
le père de Wei / Wenlong Huang /
la mère de Burak / Sezer Özyilmaz /
une déléguée des parents / Marie-Laure Bulliard /
un délégué des parents / Robert Demaille /
une déléguée des parents / Céline Spang


Awards:

2008 | 4th International Eurasia Film Festival Films
* Gala Screenings

2008 | Festival de Cannes
* Palme d'Or