The Class

"The Class," about a teacher in an inner city French high school, has been on my list of must-see films since I saw a preview last month.

The film opens in New York and Los Angeles today, before going nationwide (I'm hoping that means at least one screen in the DC area).

There have been plenty of movies about educators in troubled schools, but I see this film as more than a French "To Sir, With Love" (or "Stand and Deliver," or "Lean on Me," or "Dangerous Minds") for a new generation. It offers a sneak peak into the lives of black, French teenagers. I'm curious to see if there is any resemblance witht the experience of their American countrerparts.

Growing up, I always had a romanticized view of France as a place where American blacks could escape racism and reach their true artistic potential. There were three very prominent examples: entertainer Josephine Baker and writers Richard Wright and James Baldwin. From another era, comes another black man who made it big in Paris, designer Patrick Kelly.

Now I'm certain France isn't the place of those old notions, but the eagerness for "The Class" is no less intense. The film was awarded the Palm d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best Foreign Film at this year's Academy Awards.

Can't wait to see it!