Chante ton Bac d'abord

The coastal town of Boulogne-sur-Mer in Northern France serves as the backdrop for this refreshingly unique hybrid documentary-musical following the stories of five working-class kids, told and sung in their own words. Gaëlle, the primary narrator of the film introduces us to her tight-knit band of dreamers and rebels: Nico, the "Serge Ginsbourgian" poet with a pet duck; Rachel, the actress whose parents encourage her unconventional dreams; Alex, the class musician and comedian; and Caroline, who cannot articulate what her ambitions are, except to pass the bac (exam). Director David André follows the teens through their final year of high school, as they struggle with the conflicting pressures of living in a dying town while trying to pursue their dreams. "No one is serious at 17," wrote the poet Rimbaud, but this earnest and loving portrait challenges that notion through the beautiful voices of the kids themselves. (Mill Valley Film Festival)