Skirt Day
Encyclopedia
Skirt Day is a 2008 French
drama film
directed by Jean-Paul Lilienfeld
and starring Isabelle Adjani
as a high school teacher.
A key point of the plot of the movie happened in real life: a request was sent to the French Secretary of Education to propose a Skirt Day.
and teaches at a high school in a bad neighborhood. She increasingly resents the daily burden of violence
and interaction with unmotivated
students, even more so since the departure
of her husband.
During the rehearsal of a theatre play
with one of her classes, she finds a gun in a student's bag. She struggles to grab the gun, and a shot is fired accidentally that injures the student's leg. Totally overwhelmed, she loses control
and takes her class hostage, opportunistically creating a proper — although biased — teaching environment.
While school officials, a negotiator, the SWAT team and high ranking politicians outside try to figure out what is going on and how to react, Sonia forces the students to see things her way and ultimately shows them the contradictions in their own lives.
on March 20, 2009 before being released in cinemas on March 25, 2009. Lilienfeld said that the lack of funding prevented a typical theatre release and prompted a prior broadcast on TV. The inaugural release covered 50 cinemas, but this number grew because of growing public interest.
The movie was controversial because of its theme, viewpoint and the hurdles that led to an atypical cinema and TV release. It is debated whether the movie is "politically incorrect", especially in light of the success of similarly-themes movie Entre les murs
a few months earlier. It was nominated for Best Film at the 35th César Awards and Isabelle Adjani won a record fifth award for Best Actress. It was her first role in six years and considered to be a comeback for her.
for female teachers to dress with a skirt
while teaching, instead of complying with ultra-conservative policies implicitly enforced by aggressive students.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Jean-Paul Lilienfeld
Jean-Paul Lilienfeld
Jean-Paul Lilienfeld is a French actor, writer and director. His film, La journée de la jupe, was nominated for three César Awards in 2009, including Best Film and Best Original Screenplay for Lilienfeld.-Director filmography:...
and starring Isabelle Adjani
Isabelle Adjani
Isabelle Yasmine Adjani is a French film actress and singer. Adjani has appeared in 30 films since 1970. She holds the record for most César Awards for Best Actress with five, for Possession , One Deadly Summer , Camille Claudel , Queen Margot and Skirt Day...
as a high school teacher.
A key point of the plot of the movie happened in real life: a request was sent to the French Secretary of Education to propose a Skirt Day.
Plot
Sonia Bergerac (Adjani) is a French literature teacher who favours wearing a skirtSkirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
and teaches at a high school in a bad neighborhood. She increasingly resents the daily burden of violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
and interaction with unmotivated
Apathy
Apathy is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical or physical life.They may lack a sense of purpose or meaning in...
students, even more so since the departure
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
of her husband.
During the rehearsal of a theatre play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
with one of her classes, she finds a gun in a student's bag. She struggles to grab the gun, and a shot is fired accidentally that injures the student's leg. Totally overwhelmed, she loses control
Mental breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
and takes her class hostage, opportunistically creating a proper — although biased — teaching environment.
While school officials, a negotiator, the SWAT team and high ranking politicians outside try to figure out what is going on and how to react, Sonia forces the students to see things her way and ultimately shows them the contradictions in their own lives.
Cast
- Isabelle AdjaniIsabelle AdjaniIsabelle Yasmine Adjani is a French film actress and singer. Adjani has appeared in 30 films since 1970. She holds the record for most César Awards for Best Actress with five, for Possession , One Deadly Summer , Camille Claudel , Queen Margot and Skirt Day...
as Sonia Bergerac, French literature teacher - Denis PodalydèsDenis PodalydèsDenis Podalydès is a French actor, director and scriptwriter of Greek descent. He is a Sociétaire of the Comédie-Française....
as Chief Labouret, SWAT negotiator - Jackie Berroyer as school principal
- Yann Collette as Officer Bechet, Labouret's ranking officer, who wants to put a show of force
- Yann Ebonge as Mouss, the gun-toting student
- Khalid Berkouz as Mehmet, the beaten-up kid
- Sonia Amori as Nawel
- Sarah Douali as Farida
- Mélèze Bouzid as Khadija
- Nathalie Besançon as the Minister of the Interior
- Karim Zakraoui as Farid
- Marc Citti as Frédéric Bergerac, Sonia's husband
- Kévin Azaïs as Sébastien, Mouss's friend
- Hassan Mezhoud as Akim
- Fily Doumbia as Adiy
- Salim Boughidene as Jérôme
- Olivier Brocheriou as Julien
- Anne Girouard as Cécile
- Stéphan Guérin-TilliéStéphan Guérin-TilliéStéphan Guérin-Tillié is a French actor, director, and screen writer. Guérin-Tillié has directed the films Edy , Requiem, and J'ai fait des sandwichs pour la route, and acted in a number of films and television roles.-Filmography:-Writing:-Directing:| 2001 || teto-External links:* * * at IMDb...
as François
Reception
The movie was screened at the première of Berlin International film festival 2009, and was first broadcast on European culture TV channel ArteArte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
on March 20, 2009 before being released in cinemas on March 25, 2009. Lilienfeld said that the lack of funding prevented a typical theatre release and prompted a prior broadcast on TV. The inaugural release covered 50 cinemas, but this number grew because of growing public interest.
The movie was controversial because of its theme, viewpoint and the hurdles that led to an atypical cinema and TV release. It is debated whether the movie is "politically incorrect", especially in light of the success of similarly-themes movie Entre les murs
Entre les murs
The Class is a 2008 French drama film directed by Laurent Cantet. Its original French title is Entre les murs, which translates literally to "Between the walls". It is based on the 2006 novel of the same name by François Bégaudeau...
a few months earlier. It was nominated for Best Film at the 35th César Awards and Isabelle Adjani won a record fifth award for Best Actress. It was her first role in six years and considered to be a comeback for her.
In popular culture
A key point of the plot happened in real life even before the theatrical release. As in the movie, some students in France sent a request to the Secretary of Education to propose that a Skirt Day be observed every year. The intent was to have the government issue a strong signal that it is legitimateLegitimation
Legitimation or legitimization is the act of providing legitimacy. Legitimation in the social sciences refers to the process whereby an act, process, or ideology becomes legitimate by its attachment to norms and values within in given society...
for female teachers to dress with a skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
while teaching, instead of complying with ultra-conservative policies implicitly enforced by aggressive students.