The Path of Excellence
Sophie is a brilliant student. Encouraged by her math teacher, she leaves the family farm to try her chances at the entrance exams for top-rated schools by enrolling in a preparatory science class. Going through new encounters, challenges, failures and fierce competition, Sophie realizes that entering the prestigious engineering school of Polytechnique is not just a question of competition, but a challenge of climbing the social ladder.
Age recommendation: 9+
Frédéric Mermoud (1969) , after a Master's degree in philosophy from the University of Geneva and a filmmaking diploma, he directed several acclaimed short films, including "The Staircase" ("L'escalier") and the César-nominated "Rachel". In 2009, his first feature film, "Accomplices" ("Complices"), was presented in competition at Locarno Film Festival, and won the Best Screenplay Award for a Swiss film. In 2012, he directed episodes 5 to 8 of season 1 of the Canal+ cult series "The Returned" ("Les revenants"), which won an International Emmy Award. He returned to cinema in 2016 with "Moka" (aka "For My Son"), starring Emmanuelle Devos and Nathalie Baye, which was a critical and public success. He then came back to crime thrillers, shooting season 6 of "Spiral" ("Engrenages") for Canal+. Also for television (Arte and RTS), he films the last days of a sect in "Sirius" - an episode of the series "Shock Waves" ("Ondes de choc") -, inspired by the massacre of the Order of the Solar Temple. Finally, in 2019, he will direct and co-produce "Criminal: France" for Netflix, a series in the form of a procedural huis clos with Sara Giraudeau, Nathalie Baye and Jérémie Renier in the roles. "The Path of Excellence" ("La voie royale") is his third feature film.
Filmography:
Valik/Selected: The Staircase (2003), Rachel (2006), Complices (2009), Moka (2016), La voie royale (The Path of Excellence, 2023)
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