French Film Day

Another in our programme of film study days for VI formers in the North East in collaboration with the Tyneside Cinema. This day will see a re-run of the succesful film day held in the autumn featuring Les Choristes.

Les Choristes is a 2004 French drama film directed by Christophe Barratier. Co-written by Barratier and Philippe Lopes-Curval, it is an adaptation of the 1945 film A Cage of Nightingales (La Cage aux Rossignols), which in turn was adapted by Noël-Noël and René Wheeler from a story by Wheeler and Georges Chaperot.

Widely successful orchestra conductor Pierre Morhange (Jacques Perrin) returns to France when his mother dies. He reminiscences about his childhood inspirations through the pages of a diary kept by his old music teacher Clément Mathieu (Gérard Jugnot). In 1949, a young Pierre (Jean-Baptiste Maunier) is the badly behaved son of single mother Violette (Marie Bunel). He attends a boarding school, Fond de L'Etang, for "difficult" boys presided over by strict headmaster Mr Rachin (François Berléand). New teacher Mathieu brightens up the place and assembles a choir, leading to the discovery of Pierre's musical talents.

For a more detailed plot synopsis please click here.

To download the study pack for this film, please visit the Resources page.