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October 18, 2025
Minato International Association (MIA) holds a bi-monthly film screening and group discussion event called “Minato TABUNKA Cine-Talk.” Under the concept of “Nurturing an Intercultural Community Through Film,” we screen works that offer diverse global perspectives.
This film is a moving documentary, School of Babel, that follows children from diverse nationalities, religions, and family backgrounds, and the teacher who gently guides them through their new lives in France.
Ireland, Senegal, Brazil, Morocco, China… Children aged 11 to 15 arrive in Paris, each carrying their own unique story. Some have fled hardship in their home countries, others seek asylum, and still others have come in search of a better life. For one year, they join a special “reception class” at a middle school in Paris, where they live and study together while learning French.
With 24 students and 20 nationalities, their classroom becomes a microcosm of the world. Each child brings a different language, religion, and culture. Amid these differences, conflicts sometimes arise, and tears are shed. Yet through language barriers, cultural divides, and past traumas, the children gradually learn to understand and support one another, forming bonds of friendship that transcend their differences. Their journey offers us a glimpse of hope for the future.
This film quietly, yet powerfully, captures the encounters and growth that emerge from diversity. It gently asks us: What does it mean to live together? — and offers a heartfelt answer.
After the screening, we will hold an open discussion where you are welcome to share your thoughts and
reflections on the film. We hope you will join us!
Language: French (with Japanese and English subtitles)
→For the details and registration, please visit our Peatix page: https://minatotabunkacinetalk-20251118.peatix.com
Please refer to the following flyer for our annual schedule of FY2025.
