Ca commence aujourd'hui

Local schoolteacher Daniel (Philippe Torreton) finds himself at the heart of France’s financial crisis teaching at a small school in Northern France. Daily confrontation with budget cuts and job losses (the closure of local mining works), as well as an encounter with the mayor, forces Daniel to attempt to help the impoverished families of the children he teaches.

Based on the notebooks of his son-in-law Dominique Sampiero, a provincial teacher, Bertrand Tavernier masterfully and frenetically explores the human effects of financial depression. An undeniably relevant and poignant narrative is anchored by Tavernier’s ability to find poetry within daily life.

The veteran director, through his subjects and scripts, continues to endure, his importance and relevance to contemporary cinema growing as he does so. This finely crafted feature is another testament to his paramount status.