Q&A with Thomas Lilti on Mar. 10

Having previously drawn upon his background as a doctor for the films Hippocrates (Rendez-Vous 2015) and The Freshmen (Rendez-Vous 2019), in his latest dramatically inflected comedy writer-director Thomas Lilti trains his characteristically observant and empathetic eye on a new milieu: high school. Actor Vincent Lacoste, a regular leading man for Lilti, is freshly accredited substitute teacher Benjamin, whom we meet as he’s setting out to launch his career at the suburban Victor Hugo School. Joining a diverse group of colleagues including older Pierre (The Intouchables star François Cluzet) and divorced mother Meriem (Adèle Exarchopoulos), Benjamin quickly encounters the challenges of balancing an involving home life with the varied demands of students, parents, and administrators who rely on the group of harried but compassionate and deeply dedicated educators for guidance, wisdom, and a path forward.