The Backward Class

{{italic title}}

{{Infobox film

| name = The Backward Class

| director = Madeleine Grant

| starring = Mala Muniswamy

| studio = Affinity Films

| released = {{Film date|2014|05||Hot Docs}}

| runtime = 91 minutes

| country = Canada

| language = English, Tamil (with English subtitles)

}}

The Backward Class is a 2014 Canadian documentary film directed by Madeleine Grant. The film follows the success of a group of ethnically disadvantaged students near Bangalore, India, in taking high-school graduation exams.{{Cite web |last=Eng |first=David |title=2014 Hot Docs Audience Awards – winners |url=http://www.chinokino.com/2014/05/2014-hot-docs-audience-awards-winners.html |access-date=2024-04-28}} The film, created by a group of graduates of the University of British Columbia,[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/the-backward-class-follows-first-ever-untouchable-grade-12-students-in-india-1.3024159 "The Backward Class follows first ever 'untouchable' Grade 12 students in India"]. CBC News, Sharon Lindores, CBC News Apr 10, 2015 premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in May 2014 and won the Audience Favourite award.{{Cite web |last=Barnard |first=Linda |date=2014-05-05 |title=Canada's The Backward Class is Hot Docs audience favourite |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/canada-s-the-backward-class-is-hot-docs-audience-favourite/article_db61a153-e8d3-5e9c-b48d-f0b2d583bdd9.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}}

The 91-minute documentary was shot inside the Shanti Bhavan school,[http://dorkshelf.com/tag/the-backward-class/ The Backward Class | Dork Shelf] by Affinity Films.{{Cite web |date=2016-03-07 |title=Hot Docs 2014 {{!}} The Backward Class – Schema Magazine |url=http://schemamag.ca/2014/04/30/hot-docs-2014-the-backward-class/#.U2lCZ1flNco |access-date=2024-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307041017/http://schemamag.ca/2014/04/30/hot-docs-2014-the-backward-class/#.U2lCZ1flNco |archive-date=2016-03-07 }} Grant lived and worked at the school while making the film.{{Cite web |last=Barnard |first=Linda |date=2015-02-05 |title=Director lived like student to make The Backward Class |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/director-lived-like-student-to-make-the-backward-class/article_4239c959-0b37-5780-b2c1-5ba0f24c2da3.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}} The dialogue is partly in English and partly in Tamil with English subtitles.{{Cite web |date=2014-05-09 |title=Hot Docs 2014: The Backward Class |url=https://www.canadianfilmreview.com/hot-docs-2014-the-backward-class/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140509055140/https://www.canadianfilmreview.com/hot-docs-2014-the-backward-class/ |archive-date=2014-05-09 }}

The film was later screened in Toronto, received positive reviews from Now Magazine{{Cite web |date=2017-03-12 |title=Review: The Backward Class - NOW Magazine |work=NOW Magazine |url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/reviews/the-backward-class/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312074416/https://nowtoronto.com/movies/reviews/the-backward-class/ |archive-date=2017-03-12 }} and The Globe and Mail.{{Cite news |date=2014-05-05 |title=School? Not for 65 million girls |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/school-not-for-65-million-girls/article18458930/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-CA}}

One of the stars of the film, Mala Muniswamy, travelled from India to attend the film's premiere.{{Cite web |last=Gee |first=Dana |date=7 December 2014 |title=Vancouver Filmmaker Reminds Us Education is the Key to Everything |url=https://theprovince.com/entertainment/vancouver-filmmaker-reminds-us-education-is-the-key-to-everything |website=The Province}}