95 min.  Fiction: Drama.  Star Gerard Jugnot and Francois Berleand.  French translated into English.

Plymouth's Organist and Choirmaster, Philip Brunelle, and Plymouth Film Club are pleased to present the 2004 French film Les Choristes Sunday, March 9 at 12:30 pm in Jackman Hall.  The film, filled with excellent music, was nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar and has won seven other film awards.  Director Christophe Barratier also produced the stunning visual documentary about birds in flight Winged Migration. 

In Choristes, a former music teacher, Clement, arrives in 1949 at a French boarding school for orphans and troubled boys to work as the school's inspector.  The name of the school, translated in English, is "Bottom of the Well."  A hard-hearted director runs Bottom of the Well with a harsh hand and severe punishments. 

Clement decides to start a choir in his spare time to give the boys some sense of the beauty of life, learning, and discipline.  It doesn't help much that his star pupil with great potential, Pierre, also is quite a rebel.  In addition, Clement is young enough yet for love, himself.  And it is Pierre's beautiful single mom for whom he develops a crush.  Every one of his pupils has his problems, and another one to whom Clement is especially drawn is Pepinot, who, every Saturday, waits for his father at the entrance gate, though both his parents died in the war.

Gradually, Clement uses his music and his respect of and love for these difficult boys, thus changing their lives, the lives of the school employees--and unexpectedly, his own.

The manner in which this film rises far above similar movies is the music.  What makes it particularly enchanting is the famous professional French boys' choir Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc, which provides the singing.  It is wonderful to hear.  Philip Brunelle will introduce the movie briefly and then, afterward, lead a discussion about it and its music.

Please join us in Jackman hall with comfortable seating and several tables for people to eat meals or other food and drink.  The film is for all ages, and all are welcome free of charge.

For a list of reviews, see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372824/externalreviews.