In the House

The film explores the intertwining of reality and fiction, and the role of the viewer’s imagination in the perception of art.

Literature teacher Germain gives his students an assignment to write an essay about how they spent their weekend. Among many dull works, he unexpectedly discovers a brilliant essay by sixteen-year-old Claude — a quiet observer who is used to sitting at the back of the classroom. His piece is about voyeurism: in it, he describes how he enters his friend’s house and observes the life of his family. Germain becomes deeply fascinated with the writing: he not only decides to tutor the talented student individually but also shares the boy’s essays with his wife. However, the texts are so disturbingly realistic that soon the adults forget that what they are reading is merely literary work.