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The ostensibly simple story of a sympathetic veteran teacher giving Italian lessons to a weekly class of diverse immigrants is given infinitely more depth and complexity by the manner in which director Daniele Gaglianone renders his story. Blurring the lines between fact and fiction, truth and artifice, and between documentary and drama, Gaglianone has created a film within a film. You see the apparent artifice of Gaglianone’s crew using professionals, including the noted film actor Valerio Mastandrea as the teacher, interlinked with ‘real’ immigrant protagonists, studying the language to improve their chances of employment and of gaining a permanent residence permit. Thus in the course of the lessons there is simultaneously the painful and upsetting relation of the students’ personal stories but also humour, as they interact and share their humanity, bridging cultural differences, united in their striving to make a better life for themselves. (Source: LFF programme)
Birdie Case is a bright, successful attorney. Her husband, Alden, is smart and charming, but his inability to settle on a career is causing strain in their marriage. When Alden goes behind his wife’s back to take classes in hopes of becoming a private investigator, a homework assignment entangles him in a murder investigation. Birdie just may hold the keys to solving the mystery, but Alden will have to come clean to find out. Only, Alden suspects that Birdie might be hiding secrets of her own.
Sara joins Julliard in New York to fulfill her and her mother’s dream of becoming the Prima ballerina of the school. She befriends her roommates, Zoe and Miles, who teach hip-hop classes. She has ballet classes with the rigid and famous Monique Delacroix that she idolizes – Monique requires full commitment, discipline and hard work from her students. When Miles, who is a composer, invites Sara to help him compose the music for the dance choreography Sara’s passion for hip-hop is sparked and she also falls in love with Miles. When she is assigned to perform Giselle in an important event, she feels divided between the technique of the ballet and the creative work offered by Miles.
Vivek is 17, and as every middle-class family in India would attest, it is high time he was enrolled in coaching classes for the notoriously competitive entrance exams of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Vivek’s father, who sees an IIT degree as a moral certificate, ships his only son off to a residential preparatory school in Kota, the Mecca for IIT coaching. Over two years, Vivek goes through the motions of Indian adolescence, but it is his parents who do the growing up.
When she’s about to fail in math – the subject she hates the most, Jasmine has to take booster classes with a cute young tutor, but who breathes numbers in everything he does. Facing family pressure and embarking on a risky love, she’ll need to overcome her fears and limitations to pursue her true dream: be an artist.
In a world of privilege and glamour, two young women’s friendship transcends their strikingly different classes as they prepare to complete their education and enter royal vampire society. Based on the young adult novels by Richelle Mead.
La Traviata, My Brothers and I tells the story of 14-year-old Nour (Maël Rouin-Berrandou), growing up in a housing project in the South of France, with his older brothers, who take turns caring for their ailing mother, who is in a coma. Nour dreams of becoming the new Luciano Pavarotti, inspired by La Traviata, an opera he knows well because his Italian father wooed his North African mother by singing its arias to her. Between his work in the community and rising tensions at home, Nour dreams of escaping to a faraway place. When he crosses paths with Sarah (Judith Chemla, A Woman’s Life, AF FFF17), an Opera singer teaching summer classes, he finally finds the opportunity to come out of his shell and explore new horizons.
One morning, when Riley (Chantel Little) should be at classes, her mother Angie (Maissa Houri) hears a cellphone ringing from her bedroom, soon to discover Riley left her phone behind. She answers what is Riley’s best friend Mackenzie’s (Willow Mcgregor) third attempt to reach someone. After Angie asks if Riley is with her, she realizes Mackenzie was about to ask the same thing. Shortly after, Angie checks the main closet and finds Riley’s shoes are still there. Did she leave in the middle of the night or vanish into thin air? Riley’s circles paint a picture of the events surrounding her disappearance while exploring leads in what becomes a harrowing mystery of twists, turns, and answers that poses the question: Was it better to not know what really happened after finding out the truth?
What do Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Patti LuPone and Alex Sharp have in common? They are but a few of the extraordinary actors who have studied under Moni Yakim at Juilliard, United States’ greatest performing arts school. This compelling portrait of the master teacher – the sole remaining founder of the school’s legendary Drama Division – takes us inside the drama classes where Moni and his wife Mina pour their love and passion into preparing the next generation of actors for the spotlight.
The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil is an installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship-produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. This season marked the first time the show was filmed, in its entirety, outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, and consisted of 12 episodes and a live finale in Brazil. The season tournament finale appeared on pay-per-view in June 2012. It started filming in February 2012 and was in Portuguese. The season was produced by Floresta, a Brazilian production company, and aired in Brazil on Globo. Each episode was broadcast over the Internet at TUF.tv each Sunday night and later aired on Fuel TV in a marathon leading up to the finale.
On December 13, 2011, during the pre-UFC 142 press conference, Dana White announced that the coaches for the season would be Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva. Belfort still faced and defeated Anthony Johnson at UFC 142. This was a departure from past seasons where following the coaches announcement the coaches did not compete against other fighters until facing each other after the conclusion of that season of The Ultimate Fighter.
The UFC held open tryouts on December 14, 2011. The casting call was for Lightweight and Middleweight fighters who are at least 21 years old and have a minimum of two wins in three professional fights. Of those who applied for the tryouts the UFC invited 350 fighters to participate. The fighters in the season were from the Featherweight and Middleweight weight classes.
Melinda is forced to take a break from classes in order to work and pay for her grandma’s (Becky) hospital bills. As Melinda is leaving the hospital one day, she is struck by a car in a hit and run, leaving her legs permanently paralyzed. With Becky’s health depleting fast, they learn of a surgery that could possibly save her life
Grand Canyon revolved around six residents from different backgrounds whose lives intertwine in modern-day Los Angeles. At the center of the film is the unlikely friendship of two men from different races and classes brought together when one finds himself in jeopardy in the other’s rough neighborhood.
Planet Earth, 9177. The remains of humankind live in a post-apocalyptic environment divided into only two social classes: the ruling king and the oligarchs who inhabit the Representative Building and the poor of the world who hardly survive in the slums built around it. (Sequel to “Dawn Breaks, Which Is No Small Thing,” 1989.)
The series follows twin brothers Zack and Cody Martin and hotel heiress London Tipton in a new setting, the SS Tipton, where they attend classes at “Seven Seas High” and meet Bailey Pickett while Mr. Moseby manages the ship. The ship travels around the world to nations such as Italy, Greece, India, Sweden and the United Kingdom where the characters experience different cultures, adventures, and situations.
In the year 2159, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a hard line government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that, if successful, will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.
Newly engaged, Ben and Sadie can’t wait to start their life together and live happily ever after. However Sadie’s family church’s Reverend Frank won’t bless their union until they pass his patented, “foolproof” marriage prep course consisting of outrageous classes, outlandish homework assignments and some outright invasion of privacy.
Honey Daniels (Jessica Alba) dreams of making a name for herself as a hip-hop choreographer. When she’s not busy hitting downtown clubs with her friends, she teaches dance classes at a nearby community center in Harlem, N.Y., as a way to keep kids off the streets. Honey thinks she’s hit the jackpot when she meets a hotshot director (David Moscow) who casts her in one of his music videos. But, when he starts demanding sexual favors from her, Honey makes a decision that will change her life.
Barbie stars as Blair Willows, a kind-hearted girl who is chosen to attend Princess Charm School: a magical, modern place that teaches dancing, how to have tea parties, and proper princess manners. Blair loves her classes — as well as the helpful magical sprites and her new friends, Princesses Hadley and Isla. But when royal teacher Dame Devin discovers that Blair looks a lot like the kingdom’s missing princess, she turns Blair’s world upside down to stop her from claiming the throne. Now Blair, Hadley and Delancy must find an enchanted crown to prove Blair’s true identity in this charming and magical princess story!
A zombie outbreak has fallen upon the land in this reimagining of Jane Austen’s classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England. Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) is a master of martial arts and weaponry and the handsome Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) is a fierce zombie killer, yet the epitome of upper class prejudice. As the zombie outbreak intensifies, they must swallow their pride and join forces on the blood-soaked battlefield in order to conquer the undead once and for all.
A modern day sci-fi about Palmer Marshall, a struggling engineering student that’s flailing through his personal life, classes, and career. Palmer is on the cusp of a potentially huge discovery and he devotes every waking moment to the challenging, and often fruitless, pursuit of creating something that might change the world. But Palmer soon learns that the road to success is long and fraught with failure. Despite crippling anxiety and personality disorders, Palmer perseveres and creates the one – the dream machine that he’ll be remembered for.
As a privileged teenager living in an affluent suburb of Rio de Janeiro, Jean has little to worry about beyond games, grades and girls. But as his overbearing father drags the family into debt, Jean is forced into a change of lifestyle which opens his eyes to the world beyond his ‘casa grande’ – not least that of the feisty, mixed-race firecracker Luiza. Cultures, classes and generations collide in this engrossing coming-of-age drama from Brazil.
Jane McCoy, a recent college graduate, much to her parent’s dismay, decides to scrap her plans for law school to pursue an acting career full-time. Struggling to make ends meet, she meets a confident and persuasive friend who shows her the way to make extra money go-go dancing. What starts as just an “easy money” job, however, rapidly becomes an all-consuming activity that slowly pulls Jane from her acting classes, her relationships with her boyfriend and family, and, most importantly, from her true self.
Hudson Milbank is a successful Hollywood screenwriter who suddenly and strangely finds himself without any emotional feelings. He tries doctor after doctor and shrink after shrink, but nothing works. The Golf Channel, lesbian exercise classes and a dizzying variety of pills get him through the day, but don’t quite solve his problem. His writing partner tries everything to get him back to normal, but it’s not until Hudson meets Sara that he finds a real motivation to get better and to actually start feeling again. From the writer of Deuce Bigalow, comes NUMB, a romantic comedy following an unusual man looking for strange love.
Beverly Hills couple Barbara and Dave Whiteman are very rich but not happy Dave is a hard working business man, his wife is only interested in yoga, aerobics and other meditation classes, and he sleeps with the house maid. Their teenage son is confused about his sexuality and their daughter is suffering from eating disorders. While they are celebrating thanksgiving having plenty of food, street tramp Jerry is hungry, homeless, sleeping rough and has lost his dog. Jerry decides to end his life by drowning himself in their swimming pool. Dave rescues him and invites him to stay for a while. How does this stranger change the life style of this family?
A former drug lord returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York’s poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.
In the late 19th century, Paula Alquist is studying music in Italy, but ends up abandoning her classes because she’s fallen in love with the gallant Gregory Anton. The couple marries and moves to England to live in a home inherited by Paula from her aunt, herself a famous singer, who was mysteriously murdered in the house ten years before. Though Paula is certain that she sees the house’s gaslights dim every evening and that there are strange noises coming from the attic, Gregory convinces Paula that she’s imagining things. Meanwhile, a Scotland Yard inspector, Brian Cameron, becomes sympathetic to Paula’s plight.
During the economic reform period of the 80’s, three undergraduates bind together by a common ambition – to live the American dream. They are Cheng Dongqing, a hillbilly who refuses to accept his destiny of being a farmer; Meng Xiaojun, a self-confident, cynical intellectual; and Wang Yang, an idealistic romantic poet. Xiaojun is the first to obtain an US Visa for studying abroad. Yang follows but decides to remain in China for his beloved. Poor Dongqing is rejected by the US Embassy repeatedly. Baffled, he reluctantly accepts the job as an English instructor in the university but eventually gets fired for teaching tutorial classes in private. Across the Pacific, Xiaojun fails to find a decent job and is driven to work as a busboy in a diner.
An Oscar-winning writer in a slump leaves Hollywood to teach screenwriting at a college on the East Coast, where he falls for a single mom taking classes there.
Christine (Jennifer Holland) and Reagan (Kate Plec) are a pair of young women who get to know each other when they end up sharing a dorm room in college. Christine is a studious type who is still getting over a family tragedy, while Reagan never lets her classes get in the way of a good time. Convinced Christine needs to get out more, Reagan persuades her to tag along as she attends a wild party at the Beta Alpha Tau sorority house. Both Christine and Reagan are impressed with the BAT house, and in particular, chapter president Devin (Michelle Borth), and they are soon invited to join. However, Ms. Masters (Barbara Crampton), who teaches a class on the paranormal, believes that the BAT house is the center of supernatural activity on campus, and urges Christine to inform her of the goings-on at the house. It isn’t long before Christine finds out that Ms. Masters’ fears were based in fact, but can she tear herself away from the decadent pleasures sorority life has brought to her?
Based somewhat more authentically on the Grimm Brothers’ story of a young woman who is unliked by her stepmother, the film includes the talking mirror, a poisoned apple, and some ruffian gold (not diamond) miners (and they aren’t dwarfs or cute). It takes place at the time of the Crusades, and depicts the attitudes of the wealthy and the peasant classes toward one another.
When a trio of struggling and increasingly desperate thirty-something actors – Alberto, Molly and Richard – discover that A-list talent agent Carlo Lombardi is taking classes at the yoga studio where Molly teaches, they concoct the perfect scheme to convince him of their talent: Lay siege to the yoga studio, tie Carlo up, and with a gun to his head give the performance of their lives. A perfect plan! Now what could go wrong?
In the weeks leading up to the grand air show young Su-27 fighter by the name of Knight comes to the disciples to aircraft leading figures, which are taken to prepare it for the competition. But Knight forget about classes, when the ears falls in love with a charming light aircraft lightning, not knowing what it is – an assistant cruel and evil Thunder fighter who wants to deal with the Knight. Would love to win the Knight Lightning? A time to destroy evil plans of Thunder? And most importantly – will the winner of the Knight airshow?
Tom loves Sophie and Sophie loves Tom. But Tom and Sophie are of differering classes. Can they find a way through the mayhem to be true to love?
Fitness trainer/former marriage counselor Molly White (Pascale Hutton) runs “Bridal Boot Camp:” classes combining fitness and yoga with pre-marital counseling exercises to brides and grooms before their big day.
Veniamin, a teenager in the midst of a mystical crisis, has his mother, schoolmates and entire high school turned upside down by his questions. – Can girls go to their swimming classes in bikinis? – Does sex education have a place in school? – Should the theory of evolution be taught as part of the Natural Sciences? The adults are soon overwhelmed by the certitudes of the youngster who swears only by Scripture. No one but Elena, his biology teacher, will alone challenge him on his own ground.
Innocent, sexy Allyson leaves her boyfriend Peter to go to acting classes in Los Angeles. In Los Angeles she rents a room in an apartment building from the grumpy Mr. Merry next to the resident working girl, Bridget. During the day Allyson struggles with her acting lessons at arrogant Eric Constantine’s acting school whilst at night she plays with herself as she watches beautiful, confident Bridget through the keyhole servicing her clients. In class she meets professional photographer Jerry who offers to shoot her a portfolio.
Headmaster Sturgeon has had enough. In an attempt to put an end to Bruno and Boots high jinks, he declares that they are to be separated; no shared classes and, most certainly, no shared dorm room. This punishment is worse than anything the boys could have imagined. However, if Bruno and Boots can alienate every boy in Dormitory 3, Sturgeon will be forced to re-unite them. The plot almost succeeds, but one misstep forces the girls from the Scrimmage Academy for Education and Awakening to move into Macdonald Hall, leaving Bruno and Boots back where they started.
