Zéro de conduite

They are presented as "young devils in school" in the staff notes: a group of pupils, dreamers and rebellious, who have to return to boarding school at the end of the vacation. Their everyday life is characterized by meagre food, strict rules, an authoritarian headmaster with long fingers. In the shadows of the night, under the protection of the dimly lit dormitory, one of the most beautiful acts of liberation in film history takes place: a revolution disguised as a pillow fight. With stop-motion animation, slapstick and surrealistic elements, the film resembles a subversive experiment, illuminated in the style of a pronounced expressionist chiaroscuro dramaturgy. (mg)