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English Titles C

Class, The

Original title: Klass
German title: Klasse, Die
Estonia, 2007

Director: Raag, Ilmar
Production company: Amrion Productions
Age recommendation: 14 years and up

Synopsis:
Joseep is the scapegoat for the entire class. Not only do his fellow pupils tease him, but they threaten him physically, too. Wherever they are, be it in sports class, on the schoolyard or even in the classroom, he is the target of their violent attacks, which verge on physical abuse. The only one whom Paul, the mob leader, fails to stir up is Kaspar. “It’s a question of honour,” he explains to his friend Thea, who closes her eyes to the mobbing, as do the other girls. But Kasper’s partisanship with the outsider incites the class even more. Sending a faked e-mail, they arrange for a meeting at the beach where they cause Joseep and Kasper grievous bodily harm. After this humiliation Joseep sees no alternative: he takes the key to his father’s gun-cupboard … Director Ilmar Raag gives an oppressive account of the cause of teenage violence and where it can lead. Simultaneously his film, based on a true story, demonstrates that the aesthetics of modern independent directors such as Larry Clark (“Kids”) and Gus Van Sant (“Elephant”) have reached Estonian cinema.

Comments:
"A very powerful film that grabbed the audience from the first scene to the very end. It had extremely accomplished performances from the entire cast and it was also technically brilliant. The film dealt honestly and directly with a very difficult subject." (Jury Alekino Poznan 2008)

Festivals:
Estonia's Oscar submission 2007, Karlovy Vary 2007, Warsaw 2007 (awarded), Montréal World Film Festival 2007, Lübeck 2007, Gijon 2007, Gothenburg Film Festival 2008, Dublin 2008, Stockholm Junior 2008, Alekino Poznan 2008 (awarded), three top awards at the Paris 4 Ecrans Festival, Youngabout Bologna 2009, Kristiansand 2009, Buster Copenhagen 2009

interview available

World sales address/es:
unknown

Sold to:
MFA+-Filmverleih (D)