Les Segpa, from web series to cinema: the success of the comedy produced by Cyril Hanouna
This film, directed by Hakim and Ali Bougheraba and co-produced by Cyril Hanouna, did well in theaters. To the point of quickly being entitled to a sequel, which was even more successful.
“It's back to school! And they're all back!” They ? The Segpas of Hakim Bougheraba And Ichem Boogy. Indeed, the six characters created in 2016 by the two directors of the web series available on Youtube left the small screen to invite themselves into cinemas in spring 2022.
The film The Segpas so continue the adventures of the six “teenagers” with Ichem Bougheraba, Walid Ben Amar, Arriles Amrani, Abd-el-Kader Biskri, Charles Nyobe, Lahssen Amari, Anthony Pinheiro, Said Bogota, Grégory di Meglio, Emma Smet And Alban Ivanov to the casting.
A comedy which attracted more than 700,000 curious people when it was released in April 2022, and which can be (re)watched this evening on C8.
If the news of this adaptation may have delighted fans of the web series, it was not to everyone's taste. Shared on Twitter by Cyril Hanounaco-producer of the film, the teaser initially created a bad buzz, with the representation made of the classes (and especially the students) of Segpa, already mistreated in France. A poor representation pointed out by many Internet users, including teachers of this special class, reserved according to the government, for students with “significant academic difficulties that cannot be resolved through academic assistance and support actions”. Professor Rachid Zerrouki, author of the book The Unbreakables on Segpa classes, spoke about the feature film a few weeks before its release:
One month before passing the Professional Certificate, my students will be caricatured in the cinema as has already been done on YouTube. They will be made to look like idiots, thus tormenting their already dilapidated self-confidence. Really I can't take it anymore https://t.co/XQJXbKSNza
— Rachid the teacher (@rachidowsky13) January 2, 2022
An opinion shared and relayed, accusing the film, and by association Cyril Hanouna, of propagating a false image of the students in this class and therefore of reinforcing the stereotypes suffered by these very young students (between 11 and 15 years old).
I often tell this anecdote: my first day with them, no student was placed where they should be for fear of being identified as a SEGPA. In class when the “normals” passed in the corridor, mine would stand under the table or ask me to close the door.
— Rachid the teacher (@rachidowsky13) January 2, 2022
The Segpas, distributed by Apollo Films, finally found its audience, and its sequel was quickly ordered. Les Segpa au ski performed even better, crossing the million admissions mark this winter in theaters.
