The Backward Class

{{italic title}} {{Infobox film | name = The Backward Class | director = Madeleine Grant | starring = Mala Muniswamy | studio = Affinity Films | released = {{Film date|2014|05||Hot Docs}} | runtime = 91 minutes | country = Canada | language = English, Tamil (with English subtitles) }}

'''''The Backward Class''''' is a 2014 Canadian documentary film directed by Madeleine Grant. The film follows the success of a group of ethnically disadvantaged students near Bangalore, India, in taking high-school graduation exams.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eng |first=David |title=2014 Hot Docs Audience Awards – winners |url=http://www.chinokino.com/2014/05/2014-hot-docs-audience-awards-winners.html |access-date=2024-04-28}}</ref> The film, created by a group of graduates of the University of British Columbia,<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/the-backward-class-follows-first-ever-untouchable-grade-12-students-in-india-1.3024159 "The Backward Class follows first ever 'untouchable' Grade 12 students in India"]. ''CBC News'', Sharon Lindores, ''CBC News'' Apr 10, 2015</ref> premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in May 2014 and won the Audience Favourite award.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barnard |first=Linda |date=2014-05-05 |title=Canada's The Backward Class is Hot Docs audience favourite |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/canada-s-the-backward-class-is-hot-docs-audience-favourite/article_db61a153-e8d3-5e9c-b48d-f0b2d583bdd9.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}}</ref>

The 91-minute documentary was shot inside the Shanti Bhavan school,<ref>[http://dorkshelf.com/tag/the-backward-class/ The Backward Class | Dork Shelf]</ref> by Affinity Films.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-03-07 |title=Hot Docs 2014 {{!}} The Backward Class – Schema Magazine |url=http://schemamag.ca/2014/04/30/hot-docs-2014-the-backward-class/#.U2lCZ1flNco |access-date=2024-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307041017/http://schemamag.ca/2014/04/30/hot-docs-2014-the-backward-class/#.U2lCZ1flNco |archive-date=2016-03-07 }}</ref> Grant lived and worked at the school while making the film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barnard |first=Linda |date=2015-02-05 |title=Director lived like student to make The Backward Class |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/director-lived-like-student-to-make-the-backward-class/article_4239c959-0b37-5780-b2c1-5ba0f24c2da3.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}}</ref> The dialogue is partly in English and partly in Tamil with English subtitles.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2014-05-09 |title=Hot Docs 2014: The Backward Class |url=https://www.canadianfilmreview.com/hot-docs-2014-the-backward-class/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140509055140/https://www.canadianfilmreview.com/hot-docs-2014-the-backward-class/ |archive-date=2014-05-09 }}</ref>

The film was later screened in Toronto, received positive reviews from ''Now Magazine''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-12 |title=Review: The Backward Class - NOW Magazine |work=NOW Magazine |url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/reviews/the-backward-class/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312074416/https://nowtoronto.com/movies/reviews/the-backward-class/ |archive-date=2017-03-12 }}</ref> and ''The Globe and Mail''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-05-05 |title=School? Not for 65 million girls |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/school-not-for-65-million-girls/article18458930/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}</ref>

One of the stars of the film, Mala Muniswamy, travelled from India to attend the film's premiere.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gee |first=Dana |date=7 December 2014 |title=Vancouver Filmmaker Reminds Us Education is the Key to Everything |url=https://theprovince.com/entertainment/vancouver-filmmaker-reminds-us-education-is-the-key-to-everything |website=The Province}}</ref>

== Reception == Alex Hutt of ''Canadian Film Review'' mentioned that "The Backward Class is definitely a film to put down on your Hot Docs sched."<ref name=":0" />

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{official website|http://www.thebackwardclass.com/}} *{{IMDb title|2187105}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Backward Class}} Category:2014 films Category:Canadian documentary films Category:2014 documentary films Category:Documentary films about India Category:Documentary films about high school Category:Colleges in Bengaluru Category:Films set in Bengaluru Category:Films shot in Bengaluru Category:2014 Canadian films