Independent Film: The Edinburgh Filmhouse

So after browsing through vintage fashion and comic books (see earlier entries), I decided to head down somewhere to rest my legs and catch a good film.

If you need a change from formulaic Hollywood blockbusters, I strongly suggest you check in at the Edinburgh Filmhouse. It's an independent cinema with a pretty impressive selection of films. The filmhouse also gets brownie points for its programme's diversity and international breadth; films from Iraq, Tibet and the Czech Republic rest comfortably alongside this month's headlining English-language Cheri, which features Michelle Pfeiffer.

I caught The Class, which is a 2008 French film directed by Laurent Cantet. The trailers all prominently advertised the film's good showing at the Cannes Film Festival (swept the Palme d'Or), so I was curious to see what the fuss was about.



Well I really enjoyed it quite a bit. As you might have inferred from the trailer, it follows "Mr Marin" (or Francois) as he negotiates challenging and often tumultuous relations with his students. The ethnically diverse cast who comprise Francois' class is deliberate, and the film confronts several uncomfortable truths about multiracial France.


In addition to that, the film is also a must-see for teachers and educators; Francois' interactions with his students explore issues pertaining to schooling, authority, punishment and the struggle for mutual respect within the classroom.


I think the best part about The Class is that it doesn't really appear to be a film. Rather, you get the sense that you're watching a documentary unfold. The script is refreshingly simple; the scenes are familiar and true-to-life, and the young cast is convincing with its frank candour.

Best of all, The Class doesn't fall into the rut of its Hollywood counterparts including 'Take the Lead': Francois is no earnest, saintly teacher who plunges himself into 'the ghetto,' and winds up inspiring his jaded students. Francois is far from perfect, and his students are not typical mouthy miscreants. Various nuances unfold onscreen, but 'The Class' avoids moralizing or imposing any didactic message. Instead it raises questions with no conclusive answers.

So I do recommend you catch this! Ticket prices are just over 3 pounds for students, and about 4-ish for adults. Good, thought-provoking entertainment. The Palme d'Or was well-earned.