The Class
Drawing primarily from our 35mm collection, we are presenting an exquisite spring bouquet of Palme d’or winners to coincide with the can’t-miss Cannes Film Festival.
Winner of the Palme d'or, 2008 Cannes Film Festival
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. 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...
Laurent Cantet
Laurent Cantet was a French director and screenwriter. His first works were two short films : Tous à la manif (1994), winner of the Prix Jean Vigo, and Jeux de plage (1995). He became known to the public with his first feature film, Ressources humaines (2000), which notably won the César Awards for Best First Feature Film and Most Promising Actor for Jalil Lespert. In 2008, he won the Palme d’or at the Cannes Film Festival for Entre les murs. Subsequent projects took him to Canada for Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang (2012) and to Havana for Retour à Ithaque (2014), working in English and Spanish respectively. In France, Cantet demonstrated a long-standing concern for illegal migrant. He was also a member of the Collectif 50/50, which aims to promote gender equality and diversity in the film and audiovisual industry.
