| The Class Estonian: Klass |
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DVD Cover |
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| Directed by | Ilmar Raag |
| Written by | Ilmar Raag |
| Starring | Vallo Kirs Pärt Uusberg Lauri Pedaja Paula Solvak |
| Music by | Martin Kallasvee Paul Oja Timo Steiner |
| Cinematography | Kristjan-Jaak Nuudi |
| Editing by | Tambet Tasuja |
| Distributed by | Estonian Culture Film |
| Release date(s) | 16 March 2007 |
| Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | Estonia |
| Language | Estonian |
The Class (Estonian: Klass) is an Estonian film about school violence directed by Ilmar Raag. It was released on March 16, 2007.
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The Estonian teenager Joosep (a name derived from the same biblical origin as English "Joseph") is being bullied by his entire high school class. The class continually beats Joosep, and harasses him in other ways as well, such as fully undressing him and then pushing him in the girls' changing room. Fellow classmate Kaspar tries to protect him and breaks from the group, which results in the violence being directed to him as well. Also, in a homophobic atmosphere Joseph and Kaspar are ridiculed for supposedly having gay feelings for each other. Nevertheless, when the school administration and Joosep's parents try to find out who is to blame for the treatment Joosep has been receiving, the class unanimously but falsely accuses Kaspar of mistreating him.
After Joosep's parents find out that their son is being beaten while attending school, the father tries to encourage his son to fight back, and demonstrates a fighting technique by giving the boy an additional beating. Joosep's mother informs the school administration. At last the class as a whole is rightly blamed. Out of revenge for this, the class assembles on a beach, calling both Kaspar and Joosep there by writing emails to them showing each other as fake sender. Once there, they force Kaspar to fellate Joosep, at knife point, and photograph the sexual act without showing the knife.
The boys decide to avenge themselves. Joosep steals guns and ammunition from his militaristic father's gun safe, and the two proceed to school, where they massacre the students responsible for their torment. To their regret they also accidentally kill a girl from another class. Finally Joosep and Kaspar, facing one another, each aim a gun at their own head, decide to commit suicide together after counting to three. Joosep pulls the trigger and dies, but the film ends with Kaspar still standing there with his gun aiming at his head.
In 2007, the movie received an award from Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and Warsaw International Film Festival. The movie was also the official Estonian submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Academy Awards.[1]
Since the movie was released, two school shootings have taken place in nearby Finland — the Jokela school shooting and the Kauhajoki school shooting. In analysis of both events, the movie has been raised as an illustration by columnists and other media pundits.
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