The European Film Day is an opportunity to enthuse young people about European languages and cultures through the medium of film. Held at London’s ‘global university’, UCL in collaboration with Routes into Languages and Film Education, will screen the films in the Bloomsbury Theatre.  The day offers teachers and students from Year 10 onwards the opportunity to see original-version films in a full cinema setting , with subtitles in English.  Teaching materials will be made available to all those who register for the screening. An evening screening will be open for Years 12 onwards. 

Please note: for schools and teachers only.

Pan's Labryinth, (El laberinto del fauno, Guillermo del Toro, 2006, Certificate 15). Spanish Film Screening 10.00am-2.00pm.  In 1944 fascist Spain, the young and imaginative Ofelia travels with her pregnant and sick mother Carmen Vidal to the country to meet and live with her stepfather, the ruthless and cruel Captain Vidal, in an old mill. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she's a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again.                                                                                                                                                   

The Wave, (Die Welle, Dennis Gansel, 2008, Certificate 15): German Film Screening: 1.00-3.00pm. Germany. Today. When Rainer Wegner, a popular high school teacher, finds himself relegated to teaching autocracy as part of the school’s project week, he devises an unorthodox experiment. But his hastily conceived lesson in social orders and the power of unity soon grows a life of its own. Probing the underpinnings of fascism, The Wave is a gripping drama that cuts through superficial ideological interrogatives and aims to uncover human psychology and individual behaviours that contribute to collective movements. Based on a real-world experiment in the US, the film lays bare the terrifying irony that these students may welcome the very things they denounce.

The Class (Entre les murs, Laurent Cantet, 2008, Certificate 15): French Film Screening: 6.00-8.00pm. Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes, this autobiographical film about a young teacher reaching out to a troubled class of underprivileged kids has had rave reviews. François and his fellow teachers prepare for a new year at a high school in a tough neighbourhood. Armed with the best intentions, they brace themselves to not let discouragement stop them from trying to give the best education to their students. Cultures and attitudes often clash in the classroom, a microcosm of contemporary France. As amusing and inspiring as the teenaged students can be, their difficult behaviour can still jeopardise any teacher's enthusiasm for the low-paying job. François insists on an atmosphere of respect and diligence. Neither stuffy nor severe, his extravagant frankness often takes the students by surprise. But his classroom ethics are put to the test when his students begin to challenge his methods.