BISSFF2025 | Correspondence 通信计划055：Class 课堂

BISFF Correspondence 通信计划

This program involves conducting brief email interviews with the directors of the international films featured in the festival, in lieu of the traditional Q&A session that follows the screenings. Through this program, we hope to provide a platform for filmmakers to discuss their work and share their insights with our audience in China.

为了跨越种种障碍，开辟更多交流空间，我们设置了“BISFF Correspondence 通信计划”，对部分国际单元的参展作者进行系列访谈，这些访谈将在作品放映后发布在联展各个媒体平台。

Class｜课堂

Rumi Kaul｜鲁米·考尔

2025｜0:26:36 ｜Netherlands | Dutch | Asian Premiere

Director: Rumi Kaul

Interviewer & Translator: Anqi Liu

Coordinator & Editor: Suliko

导演：鲁米·考尔

采访、翻译：刘安琦

统筹、编辑：苏丽珂

Q1: Class portrays a group of children rebelling against rules, while the film itself freely crosses formal boundaries. Music video language, commercial aesthetics, interviews, and a mix of objective scenes and subjective, emotion-driven moments intercut throughout the piece. What drew you to this hybrid structure for Class?

A1: I feel like in crossing formal boundaries, you have to opportunity to in a broader sense show the identity of the characters, or a time. By breaking rules and using these aesthetics - that some would utter to be distancing us from the film, in my opinion brings you closer to the themes and how the characters relate to them. Specifically for the subjective vs. objective part, I’d like to say I’ve really been inspired by Chinese films a lot. Chinese cinema has a great way of visualising the dialogue between the fore-and background. Transcending the individual drama of the characters, to communicatie something broader, more collective.

Q2: At the same time, the cinematography feels notably fluid—swift yet measured push-ins, pans, and a camera that moves closely with the characters. Do you feel this free and responsive visual style is essential to the film’s spirit?

A2: I think so, the camera is never handheld, only at the last scene with the dialogue between Ilias and Yassin. For the rest, I like to create a world that is known to ours, but still feels authentic. On the other hand I like to let go of control and let spontaneity and faith decide certain moments. That’s why I like rigid, and controlled movements, but in a big spaces with long takes, to let magic happen within those.

Q3: Although Ilias the intern technically belongs to the teaching staff, his awkwardness and discomfort upon arrival seem to invert the conventional power dynamic between teachers and students. With an anxious, vulnerable adult and children who appear mature and self- possessed, how did you explore the dramatic possibilities within this relationship?

A3: I think his anxiousness comes from not having any experience, something me and Sam Dijkstra (screenwriter) have experienced ourselves. What anxiety does give you is a space to reflect in, your not hardened or closed-off yet. There’s this sensibility that makes for an opportunity to come closer to the children. To understand their point of view. Before time in the education system separates these two groups.

Class, Rumi Kaul, 2025

Q4: Yassin’s friend Vishnu appears not to enjoy the rebellion at all, placing him closer in emotional tone to the intern—both are outsiders within their own groups. How should we understand the complexity of this character?

A4: For me Vishnu is a mystery as well. I like it that way too. Not really knowning. You could say hes somewhat Yassins good conscious, but that would be to reductive. He will remain an enigma for everyone.

Q5: We also sense that Class reflects a strong interest in the current Dutch education and placement system. Could you share more about the "recommendation" process and your perspective on it?

A5: When your 11 years old a level gets assigned that basically dictates your entire future. It will dictate to which school you go, and which kind of work your eligible for. It basically says: this is your intellectual and economic class you know belong in. Good Luck! When your eleven…And the way this level is measured is through conservative notions of intelligence, All in the Dutch language. There are kids of migrant parents who speak 5 languages when they are 10, but still get a low level because Dutch isn’t their best one yet. If you would have given them a few more years, they could’ve shown their true potential. So it works discriminative. And counter-productive, because I worked at high schools with these kids that we’re assigned there and they were way to smart. So they become bored, and start misbehaving and distracting the kids who are truly struggling. Also the same goes for neurodivergent kids. If you don’t fit the regular picture, chances are high this will hurt your level. It’s an old system and by so many people critiqued. As well as by me.

Q1:《课堂》描绘了一群孩子对规则的反叛，而这部影片也无拘无束地跨越在不同形式边界之间。音乐视频、广告、采访、写实与幻想等风格交织穿插，您是否觉得这正是影片需要的感觉？

A1：我认为在跨越形式的边界时，影片将有机会更全面地展现不同人物的身份认同，或者一个时代的面貌。通过打破规则并运用所有这些美学风格——虽然有些人可能会说，这会让观众产生距离感，但在我看来，它反而使观众能够更加贴近电影的主题，更好地理解人物与这些主题之间的关系。至于主观与客观交错的部分，我特别想说自己从中国电影中获得了许多灵感。处理发生在前景与后景之间的对话场景时，中国电影的视觉化手法非常高超，它能超越人物个体的戏剧冲突，而与某种更为广阔、更加集体性的内容相联系。

Q2：与此同时，影片的摄影也十分灵动——快速而克制的推拉、横摇，以及紧随人物的运动镜头共同构成了自由的视觉质感。您是否认为这种方式对影片的气质而言至关重要？

A2：我认为是的。除了最后伊利亚斯和亚辛对话的那场戏，我们没有采用任何手持摄影，因为我想通过主体部分搭造起一个世界，它的环境可能看上去为我们所熟悉，但仍然拥有一些原创而独特的质感。与此同时，我也喜欢放开对摄影机的控制，让自发性和信念感来决定某些时刻。这就是为什么我既享受严谨、受控的运镜，但又常常将其置于长镜头和大空间之中，好让魔力自然发生。

Q3：虽然伊利亚斯也属于教师团队，但他初来此地的不适应和拘谨感，似乎颠倒了师生间约定俗成的权力关系。脆弱不安的成年人，成熟而充满力量的孩子们，您如何挖掘这种角色关系中蕴藏的可能性？

A3：我认为他的焦虑源于缺乏经验，而这其实是我和编剧萨姆·迪杰克斯特拉（Sam Dijkstra）都亲身经历过的状态。在我看来，焦虑确实能够给人留下反思的空间，因为你尚未变得麻木不仁或自我封闭。在《课堂》中，赶在教育系统最终将这两个群体分隔开以前，正是这种敏感性给了伊利亚斯机会，让他能够拉近与孩子们的距离，并理解孩子们的想法和观点。

Class, Rumi Kaul, 2025

Q4：亚辛的朋友维什努似乎并不享受这场反叛，这让他的状态更接近那位实习教师，都是自己所属团体中的一个异类。该如何理解这个角色身上的复杂性？

A4：维什努对我而言也同样是个谜。不过我也很喜欢这样——保持一种不甚了解的状态。或许你可以说他在某种程度上代表了亚辛的良知，但这样界定就未免过于简化了。他将始终是所有人眼中的一个哑谜。

Q5：我们同样感觉到《课堂》对荷兰当下的教育与升学制度有着强烈的关注。是否可以和我们多分享一些关于荷兰中学分流建议的信息，以及您对此的看法？

A5：你11岁的时候会被分配一个评级，而它基本决定了你的整个未来：接下来可以去读哪类学校、有资格从事哪类工作……这个评级其实在宣告，这就是你此后一生所属的智识与经济阶层了，祝你好运！然而这时每个孩子只有11岁。另外，评级所依据的标准也是一套非常保守的智力观念，并且仅仅使用荷兰语来完成。这就导致以下情况的发生：有些来自移民家庭的孩子在10岁时就能说5种语言，但却仍然因为荷兰语还不是自己最精通的语言而获得低评级。如果能多给几年时间，这些孩子本可以展示出更多的潜力。所以说，这个制度是具有歧视性的，它造成的结果也往往适得其反。我在中学教过这些被分流的孩子，发现很多人其实非常聪明，那么结果就是，这些孩子会感到无聊，开始出现不当行为，并打扰那些真正在学习上有困难的同龄人。对于神经多样性（neurodivergent，指大脑处理信息的方式不同于社会所认可的典型模式）的儿童来说，也是同样的情况，但凡不符合所谓的常规情况，你的评级就可能很低。这是一个陈旧的体系，受到包括我在内许多人的批评。

About the Artist 艺术家简介

Rumi Kaul is an Indian-Dutch director who graduated from the Netherlands Film Academy in 2020 with a visually striking and experimental dance film. His second short film, Cage, a coming-of-age story exploring toxic masculinity in street football culture, was selected for the debut competition at the Netherlands Film Festival and earned nominations in four categories at the Shortcutz Film Festival Awards. It also won the Best Next Generation Award at Berlin Commercial and premiered online on Directors Notes. Currently, Rumi has finished his third short film, Class, a humorous drama that uncovers systemic issues within the Dutch education system. His films are known for being stylish and engaging, offering stories that seem small on the surface but ultimately reveal deeper societal problems, all within the realms of drama, tragedy, and irony. In addition to developing a feature script, Rumi also directs music videos, commercials, and fashion films, always bringing his narrative expertise to different mediums.

鲁米·考尔是一位印度裔荷兰导演，2020年以一部视觉风格鲜明的实验性舞蹈电影毕业于荷兰电影学院。他的第二部短片《笼中》（Cage）是一部成长故事，通过街头足球文化探讨有害的男性气质，入选荷兰电影节新人竞赛单元，并在Shortcutz电影节奖中获得四项提名，同时赢得柏林商业电影节“最佳新生代奖”，并在Directors Notes线上首映。目前，鲁米已完成第三部短片《课堂》（Class），这是一部幽默的剧情片，揭示荷兰教育体系中的系统性问题。他的作品始终游走在戏剧、悲剧与反讽的维度间，以极具风格化的叙事呈现表面微小却折射深层社会困境的故事。除了创作长片剧本外，鲁米还执导音乐录影带、商业广告和时尚影片，持续将叙事功力注入不同媒介之中。

▌more information: https://www.bisff.co/selection/class