"Straightforward, affecting and insightful, the film at times plays like a documentary companion to Laurent Cantet's Palme d'Or winner, The Class." – The Hollywood Reporter

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 lifestyle. Some come from stable families who moved to France for work opportunities; others have fled hardship and persecution.

Filmmaker Julie Bertuccelli (director of the Australian-French co-production The Tree, MIFF 2010) 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 a lucid and moving picture of a social melting pot, and a testament to friendship and understanding.

"I wanted to convey the turmoil that exile represents … to know more about what they'd left behind, their culture, their beliefs, their memories." – Julie Bertuccelli

MIFF recommends ages 12+