On the 12th of February, the French A level students had the opportunity to visit the Institut Francais, in the heart of South Kensington, to take part in a Set French Day around the film Intouchables, a 2011 award winning French comedy with Omar Sy. The day began with a linguistic workshop conducted in French with other A level students, where we explored the language used in the movie but also its main themes – notably discrimination and social divide in French society. These topics form part of the A level course so it was worthwhile and refreshing to learn in a different environment. The trip also encouraged us to see the link between what is learnt in the classroom and its benefits in daily life.
After lunch, we headed for the Ciné Lumiere to watch Intouchables. The film is about two very contrasting characters. Philippe is a wealthy Frenchman who, after a parachuting accident, spends the rest of his days in a wheelchair and Driss is an ex-convict originally from Senegal, currently living off benefits. After Philippe challenges Driss to take up the position of his full time carer, they begin to learn more about each other’s lives, and we see their personal relationship deepen and their perspective on life broaden. The film has plenty of funny and moving scenes and all the students thoroughly enjoyed it. The trip has definitely sparked an interest in French film and culture for the group.
Matthew Tindall, A level student
