We met Coline, Mohamed, Lilou, Riwan and Maël, five students from the same 6th grade class, at the Gayeulles college in Rennes in 2020. At the same time, we discovered the first episode of the very long documentary series Generation 2008 course: who will they be tomorrow?, imagined by François Chevré, which follows five young people from Rennes born in 2008 for a decade, and reports on their journey at the rate of one film per year.
When the fourth part was broadcast, it is clear that the director succeeded in establishing a real meeting, an expectation, for this series which has the particularity “of not being able to be written in advance”, as the present the author.
On the other hand, we sense from the introduction that this time he was forced to scale back. We won’t see any scenes set at Christmas or on vacation, and few parents appear on screen. This fourth year presents just “a few moments of their lives captured in the year they turned 14.”
Personalities of each
Very quickly, however, we find the personalities of each person. Lilou uses a psychologist’s vocabulary to describe her “anxiety attacks”, her “existential questions”, even if she “gets back on track”, eats a Nutella pancake and puts on make-up to relax – all while keeping her cuddly toy on. ‘pillow.
After a complicated year at Les Gayeulles, where she was harassed, she entered a private college, more demanding and more rigorous. Everyone will be able to compare the few lessons filmed in this establishment with those filmed at the Rennes college, where Maël, Mohamed and Riwan stayed. In the crosshairs: the college certificate.
A little aside, Coline studied for a year in Manchester, in the United Kingdom. But his establishment having refused access to the cameras, François Chevré had to make do with two shots during his journey and interviews at home. And a photo montage sums up these few months by showing Coline all smiles at Stonehenge, London or Liverpool. But if the teenager admits to having progressed in English, in handball, in maths, there is no question of being satisfied: “It was a good experience, but I didn’t like it. »
In France, the compulsory 3rd year internships allow, on the other hand, to follow Maël at the newspaper Ouest-France, where the editorial team does its best to initiate and interest the schoolboy, for his part, receptive and polite. Also, the voice-over commentary – “It’s his first metro-work-sleep day” – seems ill-timed, if not out of place.
Nevermind. The film jumps to the eve of the patent. Riwan appears in the background, says he is stressed. Having revised well, Maël and Mohamed “manage”. The latter will even impress his audience during the internship report presentation test. Without worrying about it though. Mohamed just wants to do a job that he enjoys. And being taken to “Chateau” – the Chateaubriand high school in Rennes. See you next year.