Laurent Cantet Interview (2009) 16 mins

Laurent Cantet has been one of the most exciting and respected figures in French cinema over the last 10 years.

His debut feature Ressources humaines (1999), which explored the increasing dehumanisation of corporate life, won the César for best first film. Plaudits continued with Time Out (2001), which delved further into this theme with poignancy and drama. Next came the daring art-house hit Heading South (2005), starring Charlotte Rampling, which follows three disenfranchised, middle-aged women in the 70s US who travel to Haiti for sex tourism.

However, Cantet’s latest film has promoted him to another league and confirmed his position as one of France’s most important filmmakers. The Class (2009) is based on the book by former teacher François Bégaudeau (also the lead actor in the film), who fictionalises his experience in an inner-city, ethnically diverse school. Cantet brings this story to the screen with a dynamism and authenticity that has resulted in its phenomenal success, most notably the Palme d’or win at Cannes last year. It is the first French film to achieve this notorious feat for over 20 years.

Cinémoi is proud to present an exclusive interview with the director who discusses his experiences of working on this film of major artistic and social importance, and shares with us the magic of Cannes and his memory of Sean Penn as President of the Jury who gave him the Palme d’Or in 2008.