The Class

François, a young teacher, teaches French at a high school with racially mixed students from a tough Parisian neighborhood. He encounters sharp intelectual and verbal exchanges with Esmeralda, Souleyman, Khoumbou and other students, as if this was the way to improve their language skills. In fact, his classes are more like classes on democracy than French. His classroom ethics are put to the test when the students begin to challenge his methods. The winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2008.

François est un jeune professeur de français d’une classe de 4e dans un collège difficile. Il n’hésite pas à affronter Esmeralda, Souleymane, Khoumba et les autres dans de stimulantes joutes verbales, comme si la langue elle-même était un véritable enjeu. Mais l’apprentissage de la démocratie peut parfois comporter de vrais risques…