The Workshop

Friday, March 23 - Thursday, April 12, 2018

La Ciotat, the South of France. Antoine attends a summer writing workshop in which a few young people have been selected to write a crime thriller with the help of Olivia, a famous novelist. The creative process will recall the town’s industrial past, a form of nostalgia to which Antoine feels indifferent. More concerned with the fears of the modern world, the young man soon clashes with the group and Olivia, who seems at the same time alarmed and captivated by Antoine’s violence.

“Cantet makes an enthralling return to form with this topical fusion of political debate session and socially conscious thriller… [The] screenplay… bristles with both big ideas and small-scale human insight… First-time actor Lucci—who, like the rest of the young ensemble, was enlisted through local open casting—is a frankly astounding discovery, reconciling Antoine’s frightening reserves of hatred and physical menace with an awkward, knotted innocence.”—Guy Lodge, Variety

  • Country France
  • Language French with English subtitles
  • Running Time 113 minutes
  • Director Laurent Cantet
  • Writer Robin Campillo, Lauret Cantet
  • Editor Mathilde Muyard
  • Cinematographer Pierre Milon
  • Cast Marina Foïs, Matthieu Lucci, Florian Beaujean

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.