Writing Life – Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students

Through the words of Annie Ernaux, young people are given the opportunity to reflect on their lives, experiences, and dreams in Claire Simon’s tribute to literature.

Documentary master Claire Simon visits schools across France to observe students reading Annie Ernaux. Encouraging teachers let their pupils read a few paragraphs each before moving on to discuss their impressions. Scene after scene, classroom after classroom, schoolyard after schoolyard, we are invited to take part in stories and conversations that reveal what the reading has come to mean — how it has helped them navigate life and inspired further reading as well as their own writing. An uplifting reflection on the importance of literature in our lives.

• Rasmus Kilander