French student receives a high commendation from @UniofOxford for ‘exceptionnel’ competition entry

Trinity Mae Dore-Thomas, first-year Pendleton Sixth Form College student studying A-levels in French, art and design and photography, has been highly commended by the University of Oxford for her entry in the 2018 French Film Competition.

This year is the eighth year the University of Oxford has held their French Film Competition, and the first year French students from Pendleton Sixth Form College have taken part.

The university invites students in their first and second year of college to take part in the writing competition which is a judgement of their creativity and skills.

Entrants are given a French film they must watch and then asked to come up with their own ending. They are adjudicated on and their ability to develop plots, write compelling dialogue and develop a smooth tone.

In total there were over 140 entries for the competition, which also has a category for secondary school children. Trinity received a high commendation for her entry, demonstrating the high quality of the work she has produced. She said: “To have my story receive an award is a dream come true!

“I am very honoured to have received an award from such a prestigious educational institution like Oxford. To have been highly commended is certainly something I have nothing but gratitude for, especially as writing is something I have always been passionate about.”

This year’s film of choice from the university was ‘Des Hommes et des Dieux’, a story about the struggles of eight French monks living amongst Muslims during the Algerian civil war in the 1990s. The monks must decide whether or not to stay living in Algeria under threat from terrorists, or to retreat back to France.  

The university described the film as a ‘demanding film that requires considerable background and cultural knowledge or research’. Something Trinity demonstrated her capabilities in.

Natalie Kersh, Curriculum Leader for Humanities and Teacher of French at Pendleton Sixth Form College, is extremely proud of Trinity. She said: “This isn’t a film we have studied as part of curriculum, this is something Trinity has done in her own time. She has done extremely well, this is such an achievement, and we are very proud.”

Those who study A-level French at Pendleton Sixth Form College will have a variety of opportunities like this one. Students are invited to participate in a range of language trips, including a foreign film workshop and a residential trip to Paris. They will receive dedicated, weekly language assistance to enhance oral skills.

French is also a facilitating subject as identified by the Russell Group University’s Informed Choices, making it the perfect choice.