# L'Étudiante
**L'Étudiante** (English title: *The Student*) is a 1988 French romantic comedy directed by Claude Pinoteau, starring [Sophie Marceau](https://www.edgepedia.org/sophie-marceau) as [Valentine](https://www.edgepedia.org/valentine), a literature student preparing the agrégation, and Vincent Lindon as Édouard, a night-time musician she falls in love with.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html) It was released in France on 5 October 1988 and is often described as a spiritual successor to Pinoteau's *La Boum* (1980) and *[La Boum 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-boum-2)* (1982), which had also starred Marceau.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/fr/title/tt0096523/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director and writers | Claude Pinoteau; screenplay by Pinoteau and Danièle Thompson[3](https://tf1pro.com/programmes/produit/letudiante) |
| Release | 5 October 1988 (France); distributed by Gaumont[1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html) |
| Runtime | 104 minutes; listed as 1h43 by AlloCiné and 1h44 by IMDb[1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096523) |
| Main cast | Sophie Marceau (Valentine Ezquerra), Vincent Lindon (Ned/Édouard), Élisabeth Vitali (Céline), Jean-Claude Leguay (Charly)[3](https://tf1pro.com/programmes/produit/letudiante) |
| Production | France–Italy co-production: Gaumont, TF1 Films Production, and Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica[5](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb39065510r) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096523) |
| Music | Vladimir Cosma; the song "You Call It Love" (music by Cosma, lyrics by Jeff Jordan) performed by Karoline Krüger[2](https://www.imdb.com/fr/title/tt0096523/) |
| Reception | AlloCiné spectator rating 2.6/5 (about 1,747 notes); IMDb 5.8/10 (about 2.7k votes)[1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096523) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Valentine Ezquerra is preparing the agrégation de lettres classiques, the competitive examination that caps five years of literary studies, while teaching French on the side in a *boîte à bac*, a cram school for the baccalauréat.[6](https://www.pathehome.com/fr/fr/film/phf-3I8H8XFDCN/letudiante) • [7](https://www.justwatch.com/fr/film/the-student) Her days are strictly scheduled around revision, and she has no time for love.[6](https://www.pathehome.com/fr/fr/film/phf-3I8H8XFDCN/letudiante) During a stay at a winter sports resort she meets Édouard, a pianist and composer who lives for music at night and dreams of writing film scores.[8](https://tv-programme.com/l-etudiante-film) • [9](https://www.senscritique.com/film/L_Etudiante/1057072)
The two fall in love despite opposite temperaments and incompatible schedules, and Édouard moves into Valentine's apartment, where a disillusioned professor, fellow students, a helpful nurse, and Céline, another agrégation candidate, orbit around her.[8](https://tv-programme.com/l-etudiante-film) The relationship strains under the pressure of the approaching examination, and the couple separates.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html) On the day of the agrégation, Valentine, her heart broken, delivers her oral presentation on Molière's *Le Misanthrope* in tears and, under cover of the lecture, addresses a declaration of love to Édouard, who has come to the amphitheater to win her back.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html) • [10](https://www.cinema-francais.fr/les_films/films_p/films_pinoteau_claude/l_etudiante.htm)
## Production
The screenplay was written by Claude Pinoteau with Danièle Thompson, who also wrote the dialogue.[3](https://tf1pro.com/programmes/produit/letudiante) • [10](https://www.cinema-francais.fr/les_films/films_p/films_pinoteau_claude/l_etudiante.htm) The technical crew included Yves Rodallec as director of photography, Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte as editor, Jacques Dugied for set design, and Catherine Leterrier for costumes.[10](https://www.cinema-francais.fr/les_films/films_p/films_pinoteau_claude/l_etudiante.htm) The score was composed by Vladimir Cosma.[10](https://www.cinema-francais.fr/les_films/films_p/films_pinoteau_claude/l_etudiante.htm)
**Filming at Méribel.** Part of the shoot took place at the Méribel ski resort; a France 3 Grenoble report broadcast on 9 April 1988 showed the filming there and included interviews with Pinoteau about the story and with Marceau about her role.[11](https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/video/lxc01025441/cinema-tournage-de-l-etudiante-de-claude-pinoteau) This is where Valentine and Édouard meet in the film's story.[9](https://www.senscritique.com/film/L_Etudiante/1057072)
The film was produced as a French–Italian co-production involving Gaumont, TF1 Films Production, and the Cecchi Gori Group's Tiger Cinematografica.[5](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb39065510r) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096523) Alain Poiré is credited as producer.[12](https://www.molotov.tv/fr_fr/p/16348/l-etudiante)
## Relationship to La Boum
Because it reunited Pinoteau with Sophie Marceau, *L'Étudiante* is frequently described as a quasi-sequel or spiritual successor to *La Boum* (1980) and *La Boum 2* (1982), the films that made Marceau famous as the teenager Vic.[2](https://www.imdb.com/fr/title/tt0096523/) • [1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html) The heroine's name, Valentine, echoes Vic, and some viewers have called the film "La Boum 3".[1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html)
Pinoteau and Thompson, however, maintained that *L'Étudiante* was never meant to be "La Boum 3": the screenplay was initially written for [Isabelle Adjani](https://www.edgepedia.org/isabelle-adjani), an actress traditionally seen as more bookish than Marceau.[13](https://shakscreen.org/media/articles_pdf/Delord_2021.pdf) Critics were divided on the comparison; one French television guide described the film as a kind of targeted-product "Boum III", while AlloCiné's audience score of 2.6 out of 5 sits well below the affection the earlier films enjoy.[8](https://tv-programme.com/l-etudiante-film) • [1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html)
## Release and home media
Gaumont distributed the film in French cinemas from 5 October 1988.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html) It was later released on DVD on 1 March 2008 and on Blu-ray on 26 February 2020, with VOD availability from 1 January 2008.[1](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html) A French DVD edition also contains a presentation by Danièle Thompson, an audio commentary by Pinoteau, an interview with Vincent Lindon, and a report on the Méribel shoot.[5](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb39065510r) The film remains available for rental or purchase on French streaming services including Amazon Video, Canal VOD, TF1+, Pathé Home, LaCinetek, and Apple TV Store.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/fr/film/the-student)
## International titles
The film circulated internationally under titles including *The Student* (English), *La estudiante* (Spanish), *Die Studentin* (German), *Studentka*, and *Il tempo delle mele 3* (Italian), the last tying it to the Italian release titles of the *La Boum* films.[14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGIhLZgaQg4)
## References
1. [L'Etudiante – Film 1988 – AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D29685.html)
2. [L'étudiante (1988) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/fr/title/tt0096523/)
3. [L'étudiante – TF1 Pro](https://tf1pro.com/programmes/produit/letudiante)
4. [L'étudiante (1988) – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096523)
5. [Notice bibliographique L'étudiante – Bibliothèque nationale de France](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark%3A/12148/cb39065510r)
6. [L'Étudiante – Pathé Home](https://www.pathehome.com/fr/fr/film/phf-3I8H8XFDCN/letudiante)
7. [L'Étudiante – JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/fr/film/the-student)
8. [L'étudiante – TV Programme](https://tv-programme.com/l-etudiante-film)
9. [L'Étudiante – SensCritique](https://www.senscritique.com/film/L_Etudiante/1057072)
10. [L'Etudiante – Cinéma Français](https://www.cinema-francais.fr/les_films/films_p/films_pinoteau_claude/l_etudiante.htm)
11. [Cinéma : tournage de "L'étudiante" de Claude Pinoteau – INA](https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/video/lxc01025441/cinema-tournage-de-l-etudiante-de-claude-pinoteau)
12. [L'étudiante en streaming & replay – Molotov TV](https://www.molotov.tv/fr_fr/p/16348/l-etudiante)
13. [Delord (2021), article on Claude Pinoteau and L'Étudiante](https://shakscreen.org/media/articles_pdf/Delord_2021.pdf)
14. [L'Étudiante (1988) Bande Annonce VF – YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGIhLZgaQg4)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Comedy and romantic films (individual works) › Comedies of the 1980s › Comedy-dramas of the 1980s*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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