The Class

Laurent Cantet directs this French drama based on the book by teacher Francois Bégaudeau, which chronicles a year in the life of an inner-city Parisian high school with a high intake of pupils from multicultural backgrounds. Bégaudeau himself plays the young French teacher, François Marin, who struggles to keep this motley crew of pupils engaged with their studies and out of trouble. The film won the Palm d'Or at the 2008 Cannes film festival.