The Backward Class

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The Backward Class is a 2014 Canadian documentary film directed by Madeleine Grant. The film follows the success of a group of ethnically disadvantaged students near Bangalore, India, in taking high-school graduation exams. [1] The film, created by a group of graduates of the University of British Columbia, [2] premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in May 2014 [3] and won the Audience Favourite award. [4]

The 91-minute documentary [5] was shot inside the Shanti Bhavan school, [6] by Affinity Films. [7] Grant lived and worked at the school while making the film. [8] The dialogue is partly in English and partly in Tamil with English subtitles. [9]

The film was later screened in Toronto, received positive reviews from Now Magazine [10] and The Globe and Mail . [11]

One of the stars of the film, Mala Muniswamy, travelled from India to attend the film's premiere. [12]

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References

  1. ↑ "2014 Hot Docs Audience Awards – winners". CHINO KINO:.
  2. ↑ "The Backward Class follows first ever 'untouchable' Grade 12 students in India". CBC News, Sharon Lindores, CBC News Apr 10, 2015
  3. ↑ Hot Docs International Documentary Festival in May, 2014
  4. ↑ "Canada’s The Backward Class is Hot Docs audience favourite".| Toronto Star, 2014-05-05
  5. ↑ "Cinemablographer: Hot Docs Announces Festival Line-up", Cinemablographer, 2014-03
  6. ↑ The Backward Class | Dork Shelf
  7. ↑ Hot Docs 2014 | "The Backward Class ". Schema Magazine, 2014-04-30.
  8. ↑ "Director lived like student to make The Backward Class". Toronto Star, Linda Barnard Feb. 5, 2015
  9. ↑ "Hot Docs 2014: The Backward Class". Canadian Film Review.
  10. ↑ "Review: The Backward Class: Class gets an A". Now Toronto Magazine, by Susan G. Cole. February 4, 2015
  11. ↑ "School? Not for 65 million girls". Elizabeth Renzetti, The Globe and Mail, May 05, 2014
  12. ↑ "Vancouver Filmmaker Reminds Us Education is the Key to Everything". The Province, Dana Gee, December 7, 2014


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