# The Backward Class
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{{italic title}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Backward Class
| director = Madeleine Grant
| starring = Mala Muniswamy
| studio = Affinity Films
| released = {{Film date|2014|05||[Hot Docs](/source/Hot_Docs_Canadian_International_Documentary_Festival)}}
| runtime = 91 minutes
| country = Canada
| language = [English](/source/English_language), [Tamil](/source/Tamil_language) (with English subtitles)
}}
'''''The Backward Class''''' is a 2014 Canadian [documentary film](/source/documentary) directed by Madeleine Grant. The film follows the success of a group of ethnically disadvantaged students near [Bangalore](/source/Bangalore), India, in taking high-school graduation exams.[{{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}}] The film, created by a group of graduates of the [University of British Columbia](/source/University_of_British_Columbia),[[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] premiered at the [Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival](/source/Hot_Docs_Canadian_International_Documentary_Festival) in May 2014 and won the Audience Favourite award.[{{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}}]
The 91-minute documentary was shot inside the [Shanti Bhavan](/source/Shanti_Bhavan) school,[[http://dorkshelf.com/tag/the-backward-class/ The Backward Class | Dork Shelf]] by Affinity Films.[{{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 }}] Grant lived and worked at the school while making the film.[{{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}}] The dialogue is partly in [English](/source/English_language) and partly in [Tamil](/source/Tamil_language) with English subtitles.[{{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 }}]
The film was later screened in Toronto, received positive reviews from ''[Now Magazine](/source/Now_(newspaper))''[{{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 }}] and ''[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)''.[{{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}}]
One of the stars of the film, Mala Muniswamy, travelled from [India](/source/India) to attend the film's premiere.[{{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}}]
== Reception ==
Alex Hutt of ''Canadian Film Review'' mentioned that "The Backward Class is definitely a film to put down on your Hot Docs sched."