The Lottery

"You could win an education."

2010 1h 21m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 6

DocumentaryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Four children enter a high-stakes lottery. If they win, they can attend one of the best schools in New York. A look at the crisis in public education, The Lottery makes the case than any child can succeed.

“You could win an education.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Cory Booker
Self
Geoffrey Canada
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Madeleine Rotzler
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

81 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 16 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Madeleine Rotzler, shot by Wolfgang Held. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Original score by Gerard Smith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Madeleine Rotzler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Cory Booker and Geoffrey Canada carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "You could win an education.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Madeleine Rotzler directs. Wolfgang Held behind the camera. Gerard Smith scores. Madeleine Rotzler cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

181 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 16 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Madeleine Rotzler, shot by Wolfgang Held. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Gerard Smith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Madeleine Rotzler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Cory Booker and Geoffrey Canada carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "You could win an education.".
9IMDB entry: tt1515935 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.