Entre les murs [videorecording] = The class / Sony Pictures Classics ; Haut et Court pr�esente en coproduction avec France 2 cin�ema ; avec la participation de Canal+, Cin�ecin�ema, France 2 ; en association avec Cofinova 4, Soficinema 3 ; avec la participation du Centre National de la Cin�ematographie de l'Asc�e et de la R�egion Ile-de-France ; un film de Laurent Cantet ; sc�enario, Laurent Cantet, Robin Campillo, Fran�cois B�egaudeau ; produit par Carole Scotta, Caroline Benjo, Simon Arnal, Barbara Letellier.

Librement inspire de l'ouvrage "Entre les murs" de Francois Begaudeau Verticales, Editions Gallimard 2006 [based on the book "Entre les murs" by Fran�cois B�egaudeau, published by Portraits, Editions Gallimard 2006].

Originally produced as a French documentary in 2008.

Special features: Audio and video scene commentaries with director Laurent Cantet and writer/actor Fran�cois B�ejaudeau (23 min.); Making of "The Class" [featurette] (42 min.); Theatrical trailer (3 min.); Previews (9 min.).

Image [camera], Pierre Milon, Catherine Pujol, Georgi Lazarevski, Julie Conte, Vincent Buron, Arthur Chassaing, Romaine Kelfa ; montage [editing], Robin Campillo, St�ephanie L�eger ; costumes, Marie Le Garrec, Babeth Joinet, Camille Guill�e, Juliette Milon, Manuela Taco ; d�ecoration [production design], Sabine Barth�el�emy, H�el�ene Bellanger, Maryline Le Bihan, Laurent Dameme, Fr�ed�eric Mas.

Fran�cois B�egaudeau; students, Agame Malembo-Emene, Ang�elica Sancio, Arthur Fogel, Boubacar Toure, Burak �Ozyilmaz, Carl Nanor, Cherif Bouna�idja Rachedi, Dalla Doucoure, Damien Gomes, Esmeralda Ouertani, Eva Paradiso, Henriette Kasaruhanda, Juliette Demaille, Justine Wu, Rachel Regulier, Laura Baquela, Louise Grinberg, Lucie Landrevie, Nassim Amrabt, Qifei Huang, Rabah Nait Oufella, Samantha Soupirot, Franck Ke�ita, Wei Huang; les profs [teachers], Anne Wallimann-Charpentier, C�ecile Lagarde, Fr�ed�eric Faujas, Vincent Robert, Olivier Dupeyron, Patrick Dueruil, Doroth�ee Guilbot, Anne Langlois, Vincent Gaire, Yvette Mournetas; other staff members, Julie Athenol, Jean-Michel Simonet, Olivier Pasquier, St�ephane Longour, Abdoul Drahamane Sissoko, Aline Zimierski, Silma Aktar, Marie-Annette Sorrente.

Based on B�egaudeau's semi-autographical book Entre Les Murs (Between the Walls) "The Class" dramatizes a year in the life of a middle school in an immigrant heavy, multiracial neighborhood in Paris. The students are also nonprofessionals, and classroom sessions were improvised from workshops around specific themes. The documentary-approach to the filming puts the lie to the one-teacher-can-make-a-difference myth propagated by so many other films about school. The shifting classroom dynamics emphasize how traditions, economics, and language hold these students back, not only in education, but also with forging any kind of unified French identity. Additionally, the film suggests it is not just racists or reactionaries that are worrisome; it is when genuine idealists are finally worn down, when the gulf between meaning well and doing well becomes unbridgable. Until the system can be changed, both battles and victories will be moment to moment.

MPAA rating: PG-13 for language.

DVD; Region 1; Dolby digital surround; anamorphic widescreen presentation, 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

In French, dubbed English or dubbed Spanish with optional subtitles in English or Spanish.

Winner, 2008 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or--Laurent Cantet; Winner 2009 C�esar for Meilleur sc�enario adaptation (Best Writing-Adaptation)--Fran�cois B�egaudeau, Robin Campillo, Laurent Cantet.

Special features: Making-of featurette -- Commentary on select scenes -- Language: French LCR (discrete surround ; English LCR (discrete surround ; Spanish dolby surround -- Subtitles: English, Spanish.