Life Times 538

In 2003-04, exactly 538 students were enrolled at École Pierre-Dupuy, a secondary school in a disadvantaged neighbourhood of Montreal--538 young people struggling to make sense of their lives, seeking guidance from passionate teachers and educators who give their utmost despite limited means. Here, success is measured less in terms of diplomas than in degrees of self-esteem. Filmmaker Céline Baril penetrates the anonymous mass of students labelled "difficult" and introduces us to diverse individuals. Cinéma-vérité style, she records the positive experiences that occur every day at the school. An acurate, perceptive portrait that conveys the enormity of the challenges facing Quebec today in the task of educating the citizens of tomorrow. Neither sentimental nor defeatist, Life Times 538 shows the world of education as it is. A vital counterpoint to the deadwood of received ideas.