QFT : Les Choristes

February 15, 2007

QFT Queen’s Film Theatre is pleased to announce that due to popular demand from schools, that it will be showing Les Choristes (12A) which is written and directed by Christophe Barratier (producer of Winged Migration, Himalaya and Microcosmos). This school screening will have a ten minute introduction, in English. The film will be shown in screen 1 of QFT in the Drama and Film Centre at Queen’s University Belfast, 20 University Sq. on Tuesday 20th March at 10.30am. This film and the accompanying

resources supports GCSE & AS & A2 level French and Film Studies, but is also accessible to younger French and Media Studies pupils. All schools attending will be given a French teaching resource pack produced by the Irish Film Insitute (which is also downloadable from www.ifi.ie).

This critically acclaimed film was nominated for an Oscar, due to its powerful performances and moving soundtrack. Registration to the film event is at 10.15am and will begin promptly at 10.30am. The event (suitable for French pupils over 14 years) will end at approximately 12.30pm.

Set in 1948, a professor of music, Clement Mathieu, becomes the supervisor at a boarding school for the rehabilitation for minors. What he discovers disconcerts him, as the system is very repressive. Through the power of song, Clement tries to transform the students. Enclosed is a new QFT film guide with further details about the film and evening public screening times.

Film Trailer:

“The film was made on location, at a French castle in the province of Puy-de-Dôme, and both its interior and exterior scenes ooze with atmosphere. The cinematography by Dominique Gentil gives the whole story a fable-like character, but it would have to be a purely European fable, one that does not forget that stories have darker sides too. As fables do, the story itself touches on larger subjects such as teacher-children relations and how and why education can make a difference. ‘Les Choristes’ knows to convey an incredible wealth of ideas and thoughts about these themes without ever being preachy”. – Boyd van Joej, European films.net

chor Contact the Education Officer on tel: 028 90 97 1396 or email m.campbell@qub.ac.uk Cost: £2.50 per pupil and teachers go free. Groups rate for over 30 pupils may be available.