Troubled teenager Malony (Rod Paradot) has been in and out of detention facilities, counselling centres, and even prison, since the age of six, despite the tireless efforts of his social worker (Benoît Magimel) and the juvenile judge assigned to his case (Catherine Deneuve). Director Emmanuelle Bercot (On My Way, 2013), inspired by her childhood visits to a juvenile detention camp where her uncle worked as a counsellor, creates with dramatic detail and dialogue, a sympathetic yet honest portrait of a young man living on the margins of society.

Festivals: Out of Competition, Opening Film, Cannes Film Festival 2015.

Director’s Note: “Standing Tall pays tribute to the heroic struggles of those in the justice system who work to reintegrate troubled youths.”

Showing as part of the IFI French Film Festival 2015 (November 18th – 29th)