10th District Court


10th District Court is a 2004 documentary film from France, directed by Raymond Depardon.

Synopsis

The proceedings of a Paris courtroom are the grist for this documentary. Drawn from over 200 appearances before the same female judge, the director chooses a dozen or so varied misdemeanor and civil hearings to highlight the subtle details of human behaviour. In the process he draws attention to issues of guilt, innocence, policing and ethnicity in France.

Reception

's Mark Kermode judged 10th District Court showed a "gallery" of personalities which was "fascinating". His colleague Peter Bradshaw considered the film a "superb documentary".