The Competition

La Fémis m.in. Alain Resnais, Theo Angelopoulos, Andrzej Żuławski, Claire Denis and many other legends of cinema, is considered one of the most prestigious film schools in the world. Her former lecturer Claire Simon (let's talk about Duras, 22. NH) records behind the scenes the next stages of recruitment to the famous university. They last several months and are very strict – out of more than a thousand candidates, examiners have to select only forty students. Her observational documentary turns into an engaging story in which the director gives voice to both sides. It tracks the emotions of candidates, but also the stormy meetings of professors arguing over grades. In the background, there are reflections on what really defines a good filmmaker and how much his career depends on the origin and the cultural capital brought home. Awarded at the Venice Film Festival, the entrance exam opens and closes with a shot of the closed gate that separates the elite school from the rest of the city. This view is significant: getting inside means not only the fulfillment of dreams, but also entering a better, inaccessible to most people world.