School of Babel Trailer
France (89 mins, dir. Julie Bertuccelli) Genre: Documentary Language: French with English Subtitles To book tickets go to metromagazine.com.au/nextgen. For program information visit miff.com.au/nextgen. School bookings now open. General Admission tickets will be released on Friday 11 July. Shot over a year in a 'reception class' at a multicultural secondary school in Paris, School of Babel introduces us to a group of students from all over the world, learning about the French language and culture to assist with their integration into their new school and life. Some come from stable families who moved to France for work opportunities; others have fled hardship and persecution. Filmmaker Julie Bertuccelli (The Tree, MIFF 10) embedded herself and her camera in the class over the course of a year, capturing the struggles and breakthroughs as these vulnerable, but strong and determined, young students grapple with homesickness and the difficulties of adopting a new way of life. The result is both lucid and moving.
