In the heart of Paris, a prestigious high school takes a daring bet: the integration of a group of talented hip-hop dancers from working-class neighborhoods and diverse backgrounds. ROOKIES follows the new students over the academic year, alternating between the pressures of the classroom and the kinetic energy of the dance floor. In between, students speak frankly about the challenges they face: many come from broken families, have faced poverty, abuse, and personal loss. Through dance, they hope to break the cycle of deprivation.

The opening film of Berlin’s Generation 14Plus section, ROOKIES marks another collaboration from Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai, the creative minds behind “Reset,” a portrait of renowned ballet choreographer Benjamin Millepied (best known for his work in Aronofsky’s “Black Swan”), and the acclaimed Netflix series “Move,” which showcased the journeys of leading choreographers. Building on their earlier dance films, Demaiziére and Teurlai's immersive cinematography interweaves explosive movement and freestyle sessions with moments of quiet reflection. The subjects of ROOKIES may come from different worlds, but their raw talent and passion is unmistakably the same. Along the way they will face injuries and defeats, but also joy, hope, and inner transformation.

“The kineticism of its diverse class is palpable.... Talking-head interviews and intimate exchanges between teachers and students bring to the fore all the meanings these young people infuse into dancing. For some, moving their bodies with confidence is a feminist awakening; for others, the classes form a utopian bubble in a deeply divided world; and for yet others, it’s outright salvation." —Devika Girish, The New York Times

“Pretty irresistible as a doc, shaking off any trappings of the form with its visual kineticism.” —Moveable Feast

“The film is visually as energizing as the art form it echoes. Upbeat and rousing… moving – and often harrowing.” —Screen Daily

“Compelling... A testament to the power of embracing raw talent and turning it into potential.” —Variety

“An energetic, well-rounded documentary that goes against the norms of the dance world, tackles how hip-hop dancing crosses gender barriers, shows passion and warmth for its subjects, and creates a beautiful and honest snapshot of French youth today.” —International Cinephile Society

“You cannot but breathlessly follow developments, culminating in an exhilarating climax, and feel with each of the characters you’ve gotten to know and even love.” —Business Doc Europe

“Perfectly balanced! Never strays down a melodramatic path, but it isn’t blind to the issues it touches on, either.” —The Arts STL