In an unusual convergence of cinema and social upheaval, members of the cast of Fred Cavayé’s upcoming film adaptation of Les Misérables have thrown their support behind French high school students protesting deteriorating conditions in their schools.
The film, scheduled for release on October 14, features a star-studded cast including Tahar Rahim, Camille Cottin, and Vincent Lindon. All three have publicly expressed solidarity with the student movement, which began on September 21 and has since been met with violent police repression.
A Movement Met With Force
Since the protests began, more than 6,800 people have been arrested, several teenagers have been seriously injured, and 18 investigations have been opened by the IGPN, France’s police oversight body. Students have been denouncing unsanitary conditions in some schools, a shortage of substitute teachers, and flaws in the Parcoursup university admissions platform.
Tahar Rahim: ‘I’m Wholeheartedly With Them’
Tahar Rahim, who portrays Inspector Javert in the film, was the first to speak out. Appearing on the talk show Quotidien on Wednesday, October 7, the actor did not hold back.
“When I see this, I have hope, and I understand them,” he said, explaining that he too had experienced precarious conditions as a student.
“If we pay taxes, it’s so that our schools can be better. And also, they’re doing this for our children, for the entire educational community, for teachers, for everyone, for the future. So yes, I am wholeheartedly with them,” he added.
Camille Cottin: ‘We Are Wholeheartedly With Them’
The following day, Camille Cottin, who plays Madame Thénardier, expressed her full support for the students.
“Before, it was often teachers and administrators who went on strike; now it’s the children, just like in the film,” she told Allociné. In Victor Hugo’s novel, Gavroche is a street child who joins the barricades and the republican insurrection of June 6, 1832.
“I walked past the demonstration earlier. They were shouting ‘solidarity with schools in working-class neighborhoods’ and ‘the youth tells the National Rally to go to hell.’ I was very moved. We are wholeheartedly with them, and we hope it will lead somewhere,” she added.
Vincent Lindon: ‘It’s Very Hugo-esque’
Vincent Lindon, who takes on the role of Jean Valjean, shared similar emotions during an interview on France Inter on Thursday, October 8. The actor said he was deeply touched by the movement.
“I wouldn’t want this to be taken as a way of promoting the film, but it happens to be coming out right now. It’s very Hugo-esque. It’s very moving,” he admitted to journalist Benjamin Duhamel.
“These are young people who want chairs to sit on, to work better, decent, functional bathrooms. They’re facing a government that doesn’t have the funds to buy social peace,” added the actor, known for his politically engaged roles.
“As Jean Valjean says: ‘By wanting order too much, we end up creating chaos.'”
A Growing Movement
The student mobilization has drawn comparisons to the wave of high school protests in the 1990s, with participants describing a similar sense of malaise. The movement has also attracted international attention, including a misguided intervention from Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, after a week of violence between students, vandals, and police, questions are mounting over how French authorities have handled crowd control during the demonstrations.
The support from the Les Misérables cast adds a cultural dimension to the ongoing crisis, with actors drawing direct parallels between Victor Hugo’s 19th-century tale of poverty and rebellion and the current reality facing French youth.
